Phoenix in February is Fun: Day 1

I know I'm a little late getting around to posting about my President's Day weekend trip to Phoenix. I'd been procrastinating a paper I'm writing for a conference, and because I knew I was supposed to be writing that, it was hard to feel OK about writing something else. If that makes any sense at all.  Anyway, I finally got a rough draft done, and I'm waiting for feedback from my co-authors, so I feel okay about doing a little recreational writing today.

I flew down to Phoenix on Friday afternoon of President's Day weekend to hang out with Julie and enjoy some warm weather. It would take a lot to get me to go to Phoenix between June and August, but February was just about perfect. Highs in the 60s and 70s all weekend. Plenty of outdoorsy things to do. Definitely a nice change of pace from winter here in Salt Lake, even if it has been the mildest winter I can remember.

Anyway, Julie picked me up at the airport and we meandered our way back toward Gilbert where she lives, making a pit stop at Tempe Diablo Stadium, Spring Training home of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  As we pulled into the parking lot, we could see a gate was open, so we got out and went up to check it out.  We walked in, and as far as we could tell the only guy there was down painting something on the top of one of the dugouts.  We checked out the field and then went through a door that led up some stairs to the press box and other offices.  The drink machine wasn't working and we decided against taking any Shasta from the fridge, but we did get in at least one good rendition of "The Jet stole home!!!"  We wandered down a hallway and greeted a few people who actually were there working, before finally heading back to the car.







After the stadium, Julie gave me a tour of more of the greater Tempe area and described a variety of options for where we might get dinner. We finally ended up at a Mexican place called "On the Border", that turned out be positively delightful.  They had an "All You Can Eat Enchiladas" special going for like $8, which Julie ordered, and I settled on "The Big Borderito".  Our server (also named Julie) was so nice to keep bringing more enchiladas all night. Even when Julie said she was full, she said "well don't you want some to take home with you?" Way to earn that tip, other Julie. :)

After our retirement-community appropriate early dinner, we stopped by Julie's place for a bit, worked on a puzzle, cruised to an outdoor shopping area to enjoy a free band playing outside situation (and also found some potential family reunion shirts for Julie's family), and finished the night about by watching Rise of the Planet of the Apes.