First Night in AZ
Marit picked me up at the Phoenix airport before I could embarrass myself by taking a cellphone photo of the straggly palm trees next to the highway. Instead, she whisked me away to our hotel - or at least that was the plan. Despite Marit's reservations and phone confirmation, the hotel had no record of her reservations when we arrived! Marit and I sat in the lobby. I watched CNN while Marit called Priceline to get them to send the reservation to the hotel.
After a while of Marit listening to hold music and choosing phone options, I asked the clerk where the nearest library was. After getting directions and a map, Marit and I went to the Scottsdale public library and Marit hopped onto a public computer. Beware two tired women with internet access!!! Armed with Marit's confirmation emails, we returned to the hotel and presented our trophies to the clerk. We were given keys to the room. Ah ha ha ha ha haaaa!!!!
Once we passed through the parking lots filled with orange trees, we discovered that our room was ridiculously large. There were two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, 3 TVs, and a kitchen. The mini-soaps smelled wonderful, and they also provided us with a rubber duck, which I am not entirely sure stayed in the room when Marit left.
Next we headed to fashion square - a huge mall that is rather confusing in its design. Expensively, fabulously, fashionable retailers, and quite lovely inside. They love their water fountains. It was late afternoon and I hadn't eaten since breakfast, so Marit and I found the food court and I endulged in some fries and a huge iced tea which I spilled all over the counter before I even got a sip. They didn't offer me another. Hmph. Then, while Marit returned something at a cosmetics counter, I went on a voyage of discovery - often presenting the most horrid purses to Marit in abject excitement. Feathered purses, people! Feathered!
Next, Marit wanted to get a new perfume, so we dove into the odorous kingdom. Marit would spray things on their cards, smell them, present them to me, and watch as I walked a department away, smelled the card, and return with opinions like "bug sprayish" or "soapy" or "J-Lo must die." Then, I presented my face to a woman who painted it yellowish and told me that my favorite makeup would crawl into my pores and poison my brain. Well, not that exactly, but she had strong opinions and had no compunctions about sticking her cleavage right in my face, so I didn't argue with her. Then she followed us out to the parking lot, but that's another story. Marit showed me other stores that had every kind of makeup and scent ever created - except the one she wanted. We also went to Anthropologie where a chicken puppet was evaluated for its worthiness of the next Anderson generation. I have a cell photo of Marit wearing an excellent hat.
Then, we went to The Melting Pot where we ate cheese fondue that was prepared and served by a very cute waiter who just happened to come to Phoenix from Winona, MN. Those who know Marit are not surprised by this. Every time he came back to ask how our meal was, we complained that it was terrible and that he had much to answer for. He was properly apologetic. Then, we ate chocolate fondue with bits of strawberries, bananas, cake and other things that should be covered with chocolate.
After cheese and chocolate, we needed wine, so we went to the grocery store which had a huge wine selection. I loved that the grocery stores actually had wine. It made me giddy. I hovered over their olive bar, and had I not been full of cheese, I could have done some damage there. Marit guided me to a wine with a funny name, but a great taste - Fat Bastard, was it? Anyway, we took our wine to the hotel and watched bad TV while Marit killed me while playing gin. Killed me. Marit will always win at cards, especially when wine is involved. We talked about boys, as is requisite, and made good plans for our futures. Then the wine was gone. We weren't sure exactly who drank all of it. I thought it was that rotten Fat Bastard. We vowed that vengance would be had - after a good night's sleep. Vengance is a wine best served well-rested.
After a while of Marit listening to hold music and choosing phone options, I asked the clerk where the nearest library was. After getting directions and a map, Marit and I went to the Scottsdale public library and Marit hopped onto a public computer. Beware two tired women with internet access!!! Armed with Marit's confirmation emails, we returned to the hotel and presented our trophies to the clerk. We were given keys to the room. Ah ha ha ha ha haaaa!!!!
Once we passed through the parking lots filled with orange trees, we discovered that our room was ridiculously large. There were two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, 3 TVs, and a kitchen. The mini-soaps smelled wonderful, and they also provided us with a rubber duck, which I am not entirely sure stayed in the room when Marit left.
Next we headed to fashion square - a huge mall that is rather confusing in its design. Expensively, fabulously, fashionable retailers, and quite lovely inside. They love their water fountains. It was late afternoon and I hadn't eaten since breakfast, so Marit and I found the food court and I endulged in some fries and a huge iced tea which I spilled all over the counter before I even got a sip. They didn't offer me another. Hmph. Then, while Marit returned something at a cosmetics counter, I went on a voyage of discovery - often presenting the most horrid purses to Marit in abject excitement. Feathered purses, people! Feathered!
Next, Marit wanted to get a new perfume, so we dove into the odorous kingdom. Marit would spray things on their cards, smell them, present them to me, and watch as I walked a department away, smelled the card, and return with opinions like "bug sprayish" or "soapy" or "J-Lo must die." Then, I presented my face to a woman who painted it yellowish and told me that my favorite makeup would crawl into my pores and poison my brain. Well, not that exactly, but she had strong opinions and had no compunctions about sticking her cleavage right in my face, so I didn't argue with her. Then she followed us out to the parking lot, but that's another story. Marit showed me other stores that had every kind of makeup and scent ever created - except the one she wanted. We also went to Anthropologie where a chicken puppet was evaluated for its worthiness of the next Anderson generation. I have a cell photo of Marit wearing an excellent hat.
Then, we went to The Melting Pot where we ate cheese fondue that was prepared and served by a very cute waiter who just happened to come to Phoenix from Winona, MN. Those who know Marit are not surprised by this. Every time he came back to ask how our meal was, we complained that it was terrible and that he had much to answer for. He was properly apologetic. Then, we ate chocolate fondue with bits of strawberries, bananas, cake and other things that should be covered with chocolate.
After cheese and chocolate, we needed wine, so we went to the grocery store which had a huge wine selection. I loved that the grocery stores actually had wine. It made me giddy. I hovered over their olive bar, and had I not been full of cheese, I could have done some damage there. Marit guided me to a wine with a funny name, but a great taste - Fat Bastard, was it? Anyway, we took our wine to the hotel and watched bad TV while Marit killed me while playing gin. Killed me. Marit will always win at cards, especially when wine is involved. We talked about boys, as is requisite, and made good plans for our futures. Then the wine was gone. We weren't sure exactly who drank all of it. I thought it was that rotten Fat Bastard. We vowed that vengance would be had - after a good night's sleep. Vengance is a wine best served well-rested.