Blog | Gibby's Girl

Living In Hell — Part Two

So I wrote this entry last night and then promptly deleted it. Argggghhhhh! So here it goes again.

I live in hell, plain and simple. For the past week and a half, temperatures have soared in the Valley to 114. Hell. It is so hot, that after leaving my water bottle in the car for three hours, when I went to take a sip, I scalded my lips. I could make sweet tea in my car and have no problem dissolving the sugar. Hell. People are not meant to live in the desert. I am wilting at this very moment.

Luckily, last weekend we were able to get a reprieve by heading to Sedona. We stayed at a precious B&B called the Briar Patch Inn. It is right on Oak Creek and the only thing that I wish had been different was the amount of time we could afford to stay there.

This is the drive way leading down to our cabin. Check out all the greenery! It reminds me of home. Both Chuck and I really miss Asheville.

Our cabin is to the left — Tree Top. It was perfect. We had our own private patio and the greenery was unbelievable. We discovered a real treat nestled in the bushes next to our front door.

A hummingbird nest!! I’ve never seen one — have you?! I always equated them with Snuffalufagus — real but elusive. Chuck stumbled upon it as he was backing up into a bush. At first we thought they were dead, but as we moved the branch, their eyes quickly flew open, and one let out a big squeak. I am still amazed by the sight.

Each morning, the Inn provided a yummylicious breakfast. I loved the oatmeal and blueberry muffins. We sat down by the creek and were treated to live music each morning.

All our photos are courtesy of our gorilla pod. Kudos to the inventor.

This was a great secluded area to eat breakfast, although the sun was too brutal to stay for very long.

A resident lawn mower. It’s either Woolly or Bully.

The Inn had their own private swimming hole. All along the banks, folks had created these rock piles. I thought they were neat. Could it have been a vortex? Maybe, check out our butterfly moment.

She was magnificent fluttering around.

Can you spot the butterfly on Chucklebutt’s shirt?

I love Francis of Assisi!

After breakfast on Saturday, we promptly went back to bed for a mid-morning nap. After waking, we headed to Grasshopper Pointe for an afternoon swim. It’s considered one of the top ten swimming holes in the state by Arizona Highways. Before we move back east, I’ve told Chuck we need to swim in all ten of them. While the parking lot was crowded, we managed to find a rather secluded area and were for the most part alone.

The water was super cold at first, but after we swam around for a little bit, it was quite refreshing.

I think Chucklebutt looks too cute in this photo. He forgot his t-shirt to protect him from the sun, so he jumped in with his Hawaiian shirt.

This is probably the moment I realized that there were hundreds of little worms at the bottom of the waterfall. The reminded me of leeches although they weren’t. When I sat on the rocks, they got all over me. Yes I freaked out. Later, as I was getting out of my swimsuit, I had a Will Wheaton moment. Remember the movie “Stand By Me?” Will finds a leech on his nether region. Yipes! I freaked out again.

After we went swimming, we took another nap. We’re a napping family. That night, we went to our favorite restaurant – Dahl and Deluca. It is an amazing Italian restaurant. I think it might be my favorite in all of Arizona. Their salads are to die for and the creme brule is scrumptious.

Happy Anniversary to us! We were going to watch “The Happening,” but things close early in Sedona. Instead, we went up to the airport and looked at the moon and stars. Chuck got some nice shots of the city.

I think this was an 80 second exposure. The sky and mountain are really lit up, but it was pitch black outside.

On Sunday, we got the bright idea to go hiking. It was 106. Between the PMS and the heat, I had what is known as a “case of the ass.” Chuck wanted to document the moment.

Can you hear it? It’s me saying, “grrrrrrrrrr.” The area was absolutely beautiful, but it was too blooming hot to enjoy. We managed a total of 3 miles.

We would have been better to have gone swimming again.

Happy Weekend! I’ll leave everyone with my two new favorite magazines. I’m obsessed!

Phantom Bugs, Palliative Car Care and Wedding Anniversaries

Who knew that so many exciting things could happen in the matter of one week. Yesterday, Chucklebutt and I celebrated our three year anniversary. Time sure does fly. When my residents find out how long we’ve been married, they giggle and say we’re practically honeymooners. I would have to agree. We did absolutely nothing to acknowledge the day — my own mother even forgot that the 11th was our “hitching” day. In her defense, however, we’ve been married three times. Once on the 10th by the local Justice of the Peace, once on the 11th by our dear friend Marlow, and once on a forgotten day in September by Elvis. We were in Vegas and I just love Elvis!

Anyway, we are celebrating this weekend with a trip to Sedona and Oak Creek courtesy of our economic stimulus package. Knowing us, we will have some fun adventures to share when we get back.

Chuck surprised me with flowers last week — just because — and he took some great shots of them.

So another milestone I reached last week was my car turned over 222,222 miles. Whew! That’s a lot of traveling. Hecate (her name) owes it all to Chuck. She would probably be in a shallow unmarked grave were it not for him. After working on her Monday night, he came in and informed me there was some good news and some bad news. I told him to hit me with the bad newsfirst. Simply put, my car is slowly dying (there is some metal on metal action occurring in my engine) and there’s nothing we can do. Well there is something we can do, but it’s not worth the money. So were focusing on palliative car care. Perhaps some new tires. An oil change here and there. And once she goes, it’s hello Prius. Sigh. It will be the end of an era. I don’t even remember what the good news was.

The funniest thing that happened to us this week involved a phantom bug and Nicole jumping ship. We were on our way to Wallyworld about 10pm at night, when all of a sudden Chuck starts shouting expletives and throws his shoe at me. This was pretty scary especially since he was driving. At first I thought our car had finally kicked the bucket. When the shoe came flying, I realized it was a more pressing manner. Bugs in the car?! That calls for serious action. We were at a red light and I bailed right then and there. When it comes to unidentified bugs, I say it’s every man, woman and child for themselves. I am my mother’s daughter! As soon as I was out of the car, the light changed green and he was off. I met him down the street in a bank parking lot. Oh yeah, and I was in my pj’s cause that’s the only proper attire for late-night Walmart shopping. I was a little worried that someone might mistake me for a meth addict — they are known to populate this side of town — but remember, BUGS ARE IN THE CAR!!

I get up to Chuck and proceed to ask him what’s going on. He has the window rolled down and so I converse with him through the window. I’m not taking a chance of getting back in the car until I know for sure that the perimeter is secure. A car pulls up to the ATM and Chuck says to get in car. He assures me there are no bugs. Again, he forcefully tells me to get in the car and I proceed to yell, “Don’t tell me what to do!” I was grumpy and still not 100% sure of a critter free car. He was grumpy because we looked suspicious hanging out in the bank parking lot. Also, I guess to the outside eye, it *may* have looked that I was soliciting him. Leaning over the car. Talking through the window. I told him we would be in a lot of trouble if we were arrested, because as my mother says, we have no friends and who would bail us out? Later Chuck told me that he had never experienced an individual hopping out of his car at a redlight. I didn’t really see what the big deal was.

Oh yeah, and the bugs? Apparently I need to clean out my car more often. It was paper that had crept out from under the driver’s side. Sheesh!

Happy Friday Everyone!