I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Back by popular demand (at least I hope so), it's my blog! Due to circumstances beyond my control... (working like a slave and then vacationing like a hedonist), I have been very lax in keeping you informed about the goings on of the Arizona Kid (the middle-aged version). But that is going to change starting with this blog... (I know, you've all heard this before but I'm really really going to try). The 21 day marathon of security work (cha-ching!) is a painful and profitable memory replaced by the fabulous (although trying--more to come) vacation on the beaches of Aruba with my bestest friends from the great state of New York. It was such a blast (as it always is) to hang with Toni Ann, Bob, Cathy and Bill in a beautiful, WARM place while the rest of you are insulating and heating up for winter... (Sorry, I just can't resist a dig at my East Coast and Midwest readers). But the trip wasn't as easy this time as in previous years...

The lesson learned last year with the up all night listening to Christmas muzak in JFK airport was forgotten this year when I booked my "midnight plane to Georgia" so that I could be on the beach Saturday afternoon. After working the final ASU football home game and getting home around 6pm, I "depacked" for the third time...(fit everything into a gym bag), lit a fire and waited for a ride from the shuttle to the airport. Everything went smoothly except I couldn't sleep on the plane and we arrived at 5am Saturday morning. After a cruel four and a half hour layover I got on the plane to Aruba and was rewarded with a three seat row to myself... (which I took full advantage of by laying down after the seat belt sign went off). I was awakened by the flight attendant on final approach and watched in horror out the window (it was cloudy!!!) as we landed to gray, dismal clouds but 80 degree temps... So I could've flown on Saturday and arrived late beause there was no sunset to watch... (although I did fire up a Cuban cigar). At baggage claim I discovered that my TSA approved locks were not on my bags (thanks Customs) but everything was intact. As I exited the airport, the line for taxis was enormous...but a guy whistled me from the street asking if I wanted a cab and while being screamed at by the line waiting, I jumped in with my bags (years of New York cabbing experience paid off) and we sped (sort of) into traffic. Just as we pulled away the skies opened up with a downpour drowning the people in line... (karma-never lets you get away).

I arrived at my resort soaked just walking to the door (karma) only to find that my room was not yet ready (karma--it was always ready early every year prior). So I walked to the Dunkin' Donuts across the courtyard in the downpour only to find the coolatta machine broken (karma). My room was ready about 30 minutes later and after purchasing my Cubans I moved in... I removed my camera case and the camera dropped to the floor in pieces (karma). But you know what? I wanted a new camera so it wasn"t a total loss. The rest of the week was filled with rain and clouds on Sunday and Monday and the sun started to come out more often on Tuesday. Laying on the beach does not really call for perfect weather and sleeping and napping is what we did mostly. Wednesday was golf day with monster winds but beautiful sunshine (the golf course and Mother Nature won this year). The rest of the week was filled with beach days, trips into town and fabulous eats...(found some new restaurants to add to the rotation along with some classics). Managed to get a few runs in and walked a couple miles a day on the beach between resorts... All in all it was a great time... (saw more rain this week than I have in the last 6-9 months at home).

I never found a place that sold TSA locks on the island, but I"ll replace them. Nothing was lost on the trip back. After replacing the bad karma (jumping the cab ahead of everyone) with good (giving up my seat on the bus several times) I received and exit aisle seat on the trip to Atlanta...(ah! precious legroom). After catching the free shuttle to the Holiday Inn I was greeted by the fire alarm blaring in the lobby... (someone burned popcorn in microwave and set off the alarm). The bad news (leftover karma) was that my room was on the sixth floor and the elevators were locked down. Up the stairs to sixth floor (access door locked) down to fifth floor and across the entire hotel to the other stairs and up to the sixth then across the entire hotel to my room carrying all luggage (glad I fit everything into a gym bag). The room was very comfortable and I slept like a rock. Riding to the airport in shorts and sandals... (outside temp was in the 30's in Atlanta) with everyone else in winter coats, hats and gloves invited some interesting comments from my fellow airport customers. Especially when I was in the curbside check-in line outside (shorter than the line inside). No frostbite and another aisle to myself in the back of the plane...

Arrived in Phoenix on time and was dropped off at the apartment... Great to be away but also great to be home... Nothing on the plate for work until I call tomorrow. Looking forward to hanging Christmas decorations and putting up the tree (Christmas in the desert--just like the first one, eh?) Much to do this week in the personal arena that I couldn't get to during the workathon... (including shopping for a new camera). I will try and get some Christmas photos of downtown Tempe and the botanical gardens light show posted on Facebook after I secure the new camera... Lots to do and lots to blog about... I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!