Clinging to Good Times

Daryl!

We arrived home from Sedona (OSP) the other day. We were tired from road food, so we sat down to a couple of warm, watery beers and frozen dinners and watched an episode of The Walking Dead before heading to sleep.

When I awoke, I was conscious of being so content. I am not prone to mood swings, so when I notice feelin' something other than my consistently OK nature I try to take notice. The day just seemed.... expansive. I would have breakfast with the man-type and read the Margaret Atwood novel I just started while sitting on the sofa. When I got hungry, I'd go pick a few things up from the store. And it would still be early in the day!

The morning started off just as I thought it would. I read, but then familiar thoughts started seeping in. "You should check your work email!" "You should get the store over with now." "Why aren't you at yoga, lazy?" I failed to bat them away and found myself scrolling through the dozens of work emails that had piled up while I was away. Before I knew it, I was at the grocery store, ambling through brightly-lit aisles, tossing products I didn't really need into the cart. By the time I was home, my brain was already racing with ideas I could use in the classroom, assessing how much work I needed before the semester started.

Really, it's OK that I'm back in work mode. It's especially palpable now that the first week of classes is over. But there's something so wonderful about that sense of expansiveness that can come in when we set aside our responsibilities to connect with the people we love and to the world around us. I've been told that there are ways to remind us of those good times.

They say that the reason we enjoy vacations so much is because we've invested time into planning them. By the time we get there, it would be foolish to complain about the food or lodging, or to not appreciate every wonderful moment there is. I've been told to put effort into remembering good times by creating a place of rotating photos, of eating in restaurants that remind us of a fun night out. I'll have to think about that.... right after I check my work email :-)

Double Bed

I just read a “Signs You Might Be a Type A personality” article on Facebook (thanks, La) and was reminded of how much I hate sleeping away from home. Or sleeping at all, really. When the Man-type first moved in, I could hardly sleep a wink with him in the same bed. Finally, I gave in and dropped a grand on an enormous king-size. We could both be having a fitful night and the other wouldn’t know a damn thing about it, the bed is so flippin’ huge.

The only drawbacks of the delightful Canyon Wren in Sedona is that they only offer queen sized beds. I figured, what the hell? It’s a romantic getaway, right? I wasn’t that much of a princess, was I?

I swear, the bed was a double. A double! 

Now, I’m an affectionate person by day. I like to hug, kiss, and enjoy intimate moments with my Man-type. But at night? When it's time to sleep? You better get away. GET AWAY. And stay on your side, dammit. 

And how was I going to enjoy these beautiful vistas if I was cranky from a bad night’s sleep?

How would I learn about the Sinaguans and their matriarchal societies and their cliffdwellings and communal living spaces if I only got four or five hours?

How were we going to have a—ahem—romantic getaway in OSP (Our Special Place) if my dude is tired from my tossing and turning all night? 

Fortunately, after we enjoyed an incredible dinner of pork cheeks, steak, and grilled corn at Elote, and after we scared ourselves by watching 28 Days Later, I was lulled to a restful Sedona sleep by the babbling fountain nearby. And I got to enjoy those crazy vistas after all. 

 

 This is in Boynton Canyon.

Boars and More

It’s been a year and a half since I blogged. While I make no promises (threats?) to resurrect this tired trash heap and add to it on a regular basis, I feel compelled today, and I really truly would like to get back into the habit of it.

The Man-type and I have settled on Sedona as Our Special Place (OSP). Despite the drive, it’s a convenient enough getaway for a three or four night stay. We depart from our tree-lined community and cross seven hours’ worth of desert. The drive sun-bleaches away our routines and stress as we talk and listen to the Man’s ‘80s music or old reruns of Loveline.

 The Canyon Wren grounds,  photo from Tripadvisor

During our first two visits, we stayed in Forest Houses, a series of older cabins located on a gorgeous property north of Sedona in Oak Creek Canyon. Because it was unavailable, we ended up booking a little cabin at the nearby Canyon Wren, a small bed and breakfast that avails itself only to couples or solo travelers. Upon arriving at 7:00 the first night, I walked car-dazed toward the office to check in as the Man unpacked the car. I ambled forward quietly until I was stopped by snorting, chuffing boars.

Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeit.
  

OK, it was explained to me that the two giant pigs that ran in front of me were not pigs, really, but javelinas. The owners put out dog food each night to deter them from eating the plants.

But just look at the picture. You tell me if that’s a “peccary” or some sort of rabid porcine beast. Indeed, we were later told that they could kill a small child or an elderly person.

I spent the rest of the trip trying to get a photo of the buggers but could capture nothing more than a shadowy figure. The Man-type wouldn’t dare walk around the property after dusk, so I will torture him for years to come with this javelina wall hanging we picked up at a store called "World Famous Art" in a place called Gila Bend.

More on OSP soon.