Ponderings and Musings

Waking up to lightning notifications and the rumble of thunder is a most excellent way to start the work week. Thank you, Mother Nature!

Earl suggested we enjoy the beautiful day and drive up nearby Mount Lemmon. I told him I wanted to do some reading and writing today, so I brought my computer along in case we found a place where I could do a few things I wanted to do. I found some inspiration at the Inspiration Point Picnic Area, near the top of Mount Lemmon.

‘Twas a beautiful moment.

It was about 30 degrees (Fahrenheit) cooler than the temperature at home, and it was quite breezy. I loved every moment of our stop there. The wind making its way through the evergreens was especially magical; I will never tire of that sound. In fact, I probably need to find a sound effect that replicates the pleasantries so if I’m feeling anxious at work or something I can spray some pine mist and listen to that sound on headphones.

All of our street lights have turned purple. Apparently the coating used to standardize the light color has worn off the lights in the Arizona sun and subsequently now appear purple. It’s not on purpose.

I’m not convinced LED street lights are a good thing.

It’s well into the 70s here in the Sonoran Desert and the sun is shining brightly. When I went on my hike earlier this morning I noticed a lot of the flora was starting to show some color and the like. One of the fastest running deer also shot by me early in my adventure this morning; I’m assuming they’re as excited about the nice weather as I am.

Earl asked me a couple of times this past week if I was going to shave and I did last night. I’m back to my previous facial hair configuration, simply because I am not mentally to have that much grey hair growing on my face at this point of my life. Vanity? Of course. I need my appearance to match how I see myself as much as possible in order to keep my wits about me. Vanity? Of course.

Apparently I got a little bit of sun during my hike this morning. I need to be better at keeping that sort of thing in check.

Earl asked me last night if I was growing a goatee. He noticed I hadn’t shaved in a few days and I responded to the negative, “no, I’m not growing a goatee”. Goatees are not my favorite thing. I’ve had them in the past but I don’t really like the look; I’d rather grow my beard out and have a longer goatee in the beard or something.

But I think I have mustache goals for the 2024 Storm Chasing season. I’ll focus on that.

I do not mind having a grey mustache but I don’t enjoy having a grey beard. The lip fur is a good balance.

My husband is celebrating his birthday today. We are keeping it fairly simple with dinner and drinks tonight after work. We had cake and presents last night since Mike is out of town for work the rest of the week.

My husband is one amazing man.

We are currently at a Starbucks in Phoenix, Arizona. We arrived in Phoenix yesterday to get a head start on Earl’s birthday celebration. We did a little shopping, ate a lot of food, went to a bar (the Gay Rodeo is in town!) and now it’s the next day. I haven’t had a hot shower (the hotel wasn’t big on hot water) but I’m doing well and we just had a nice breakfast at a place called Melrose Kitchen. I’ll be writing a Yelp review on the experience after this blog entry. The Yelp review will be complimentary.

We are going to stop at a local watering hole before heading back to Tucson. The weekend has been a whirlwind of activity but I have found it all enjoyable. Whirlwinds make the weekend go by quickly. It’ll be back to work tomorrow.

I’ve gotten in the habit of putting my sunglasses up over my hat visor as one must have both when living in the desert. Earl tells me I look like a golf dad. I can work with that.

This performance from Celine Dion gives me life. From VH1’s Divas Live in 1998, here’s Celine Dion with “River Deep, Mountain High”.

Always take a few moments to daydream.

My husband and I cooked dinner for the family for Valentine’s Day. We used to good china and everything. I picked out the menu and together we made meal that was enjoyed by all. The menu included

• Filet Mignon – sous-vide and then seared on the grill, with a balsamic glaze
• Homemade scalloped potatoes
• Roasted green beans with cheese
• Roasted miniature tomatoes with seasoning

Chris and Mike made Valentine’s Day cupcakes with a rose flavored frosting.

All was delicious. I didn’t take any photos of the event; I was too busy having fun with my husband and the family with our culinary experience.