A Day In the Office

Posted on June 7, 2014 by TheJessicaness
fatherly symbolism for, "I will miss you most awesome daughter ever!"

fatherly symbolism for, “I will miss you most awesome daughter ever!”

We were going to wake early to give us more time to our day if we decided to drive to Mt. Lemon in Tucson or to an art event in Flagstaff. Neither happened when Dad almost went into work. Instead we agreed to spend the day together and let Caleb and Caroline go to the Heard Museum – somewhere Caleb has yet to see.

Legos at the Heard Museum - by Caleb

Legos at the Heard Museum – by Caleb

We all went to breakfast together at U.S. Egg at 8am. I ordered the granola yogurt and an English muffin. We drank our coffee and said our goodbyes to Mario and his waitresses. From there Dad and I went to the office where we would stay until 2pm. The other two went to the museum and had fun making shapes with Legos in the temporary exhibit.

playing dead, not just for puppies anymore - by Caleb

playing dead, not just for puppies anymore – by Caleb

They split a sandwich there and brought home fry-bread. We went to North for lunch at 2:30 and split some fries with lemon aioli and a pizza with mushrooms and smoked mozzarella. We met back at the house and waited on the other two to get back from Goodwill where they found a great deal on cashmere sweaters. They want to unravel them and reuse the yarn. I felt like getting out of the house and bringing the dogs along, so dad-less we went to Echo Mountain Off-Leash Arena just south of their house at 5pm.

kachina dolls - by Caleb

kachina dolls – by Caleb

Caleb threw the ball for Sparky a few times and then I noticed Sparky’s left rear foot was bloody and that it was still 103 degrees out. I carried him back to the car, but we weren’t ready to go home yet. We drove down the street, pulled into a neighborhood, and then drove around until we found parking next to a trail sign. The dirt was hot too so I tried to keep the dogs in the shade. They did well. We were looking for the top of Mountains Preserve, but we only found a road to a water tower. We turned around and Caleb carried Piggy back to the car.

view from the hike

view from the hike

Back at the house with plenty of water and air-conditioning I read from The Glass Castle for a bit while the other two went back to their sweaters before Dad decided it was time for a movie – A Hundred Ways to Die in the West – in a theatre near us – playing now! It was a goofy movie choice for him, but we all laughed at the absurdity of the film that is set in 1882. From the theatre we went to dinner at BJ’s. Caroline and I split the kale salad, Caleb had a burger with fries, and Dad had a steak with mashed potatoes. I helped myself to fries with potatoes on top.

the unattainable top (while trying to avoid the hot dirt with dogs)

the unattainable top (while trying to avoid the hot dirt with dogs)

We skipped dessert there and I was anxious for the fry-bread waiting on the counter at home. I had a quarter of one while Caleb walked the dogs. Upon his return Caroline got out the box of cronuts so that Dad could try one for the first time at 10:38pm. There’s a story as to why he hasn’t had this experience sooner involving a man and cash, but that’s for another time. There were two chocolate and two vanilla – still good after being in a box all day. I made it until 11pm before deciding to go to sleep.

a box full of cronuts

a box of cronuts

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Dogs and No Postcards

Posted on June 6, 2014 by TheJessicaness
Piggy and me at the USDA office

Piggy and me at the USDA office

I wake up to the sound of Dad and Caroline moving around but usually lay there waiting until they are done using the bathroom and fall back asleep. This morning I walked the dogs and then lay down again. They left to start their days and I got up to shower. Caleb washed himself and the dogs. I had a piece of rye toast with passion fruit butter and bitter orange jam on it for breakfast.

We left the house at 10:30 for the dogs’ eleven o’clock appointment. What should’ve only taken 20 minutes ended up being six hours of running around between different Banfields and the USDA Wildlife Services office. While waiting on some paperwork, sitting on a bench by the check-in desk I saw a dachshund approach. When the owner neared I asked how many babies were in its belly. She assured me Pee Wee had a wee wee and no pups on the way. Oops.

A larger dog, with bows on, approached the scale and sat on it until she was given a treat. This went on about five times while a lady stood with a cat meowing in her cart and two girls dressed just as skimpily as their mother stood around waiting for their dog to be done at the groomers. Turns out the fat weiner dog wasn’t here to be seen (this time), he was waiting on his brother who made out with the veterinarian assistant in front of me – just another reason I won’t let my dogs lick things.

The same doggy nurse with the menagerie of dog poo on her face is the one that will help get our paperwork in order. At least when she hands it to us I don’t have to worry about her hands being dirty – or do I? The day cost some $200 for two physicals and a piece of paper saying as much. We finally got everything printed out, signed after returning to the office, and paid for in kitten souls, and got to the house at 5pm. I read to Caleb until Caroline got home 30 minutes later.

We began the debate about dinner, met Dad at the office at 7pm, saw Caroline play the keyboard and Rainy get hired at Timefire, then decided on True Food Kitchen. I said any spot in the restaurant would be fine and they almost put us in the lounge area, where the seats are bigger than the tables, which would be fine for drinks and cigarettes. I went to the bathroom as soon as we were seated and the sinks are located outside, trough style.

We split edamame dumplings, a kale crunch salad, a bowl of crudités, spaghetti squash casserole, and a tempeh sandwich with sweet potato bits and lemon kale. Dad ordered tuna and salmon. To drink we shared a medicine man, strawberry soda, kale juice mix, and an acai mojito. Dessert was a bowl of chia pudding, strawberry-rhubarb crumble, and a lemon tart with coconut whipped cream.

I left there three bites too full, but I wasn’t about to leave any sugary bite orphaned on the table waiting to be escorted to the trash by the busboy. I’d rather slather them on my taste buds and feel them slide down my throat where their joyous calories will give me the energy needed to find their family and eat them too.  I enjoyed the walk back to the car among the street lights, knitted poles, and stairs to where we were parked in the garage. Caleb and Caroline secretly decided to walk the dogs together, leaving Dad and I alone, only returning to cuddle with their spouses.

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Father Daughter Roadtrip

Posted on June 5, 2014 by TheJessicaness
garden kaleidoscope

garden kaleidoscope

Breakfast was had at U.S. Egg, after arriving at 9am. I had biscuits with sausage gravy. It’s not that I can’t eat meat, but it ruined the taste of the pepper gravy and buttery biscuits. I would’ve finished the four halves had I not had half of an English muffin with blackberry jam on it. Dad’s meal came over-meated and Mario, the manager, sat down to give us a tip on our soon-to-be expat home while Dad was busy talking to a waitress.

He told us not to show the bottom of our feet as it’s considered disrespectful in the Middle East because you’re showing the lowest part of your body, the unclean part. That is also why shoes are removed for prayers and the feet cleaned. Some Muslims find it respectful for youth to kiss the feet of their elders; others claim this resembles the prostration to God and it shouldn’t be done. I will keep my feet down and my eyes open. Thank you, Mario.

on the corner in Jerome

on the corner in Jerome

Dad opened the office for Dani and then we took Caleb home, so we could have one last father-daughter day before I leave for two years, after setting him up with a 12:30 appointment with Simon, Dad’s barber for 17 years. Had we left sooner Dad wanted to take me to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, to another part of this large, historic formation that I have yet to see, and that we haven’t seen together.

This didn’t stop us from heading north, but the road closure due to a car on fire did. We detoured off Highway 17 and stopped in Jerome – a small town full of photography shots that Dad had already taken. There are lots of rebuilt hotels and saloons that have partially survived fires over the years. And the ladies jail is located on the bottom floor of the New State Motor Building – which is where the women went after the town passed a law forbidding the red-light district from being located downtown.

books on a shelf

books on a shelf

There’s plenty of shopping, history, and chipped paint along with the dry desert heat that is cooled off when a breeze blows through the streets here. We notice a sign, “Will take credit card for water” – it’s not verbatim, but neither of us had cash. We get a water each and I get a root beer, not because I like soda, but to celebrate seeing a new place and getting to experience a sample of the 89A that’s famous for its 158 curves in 12 miles.

Then we drove to Sedona to the Blue Moon Cafe so Dad could order posole, a pork and hominy stew, and was again over-meated. I tried a bite of the hominy with broth and the spices were varied and fitting to my memories of Dad and I traveling the Southwest. I enjoyed my tea while he ate lunch. We made it back home after 4pm and he went to the office to not feel as guilty for leaving the employees there to work the morning alone.

outdoor bathroom

outdoor bathroom

It turns out Brinn decided to take the day off since he thought the boss wasn’t coming back in and influenced his girlfriend, a yet to be hired employee, to leave an hour and a half early so they could go shopping for supplies for his new apartment. Dad kicked Joe out so he could have some time to himself. I spent this time to write out postcards for Robert,  Jessi and Jake, and Sammi and Lyra. I read to Caleb for a while and then he scared Caroline at the door when she got home at 5:45. The look on her face was priceless.

We met Dad at Gil’s Taste of Taos at 7:15 with two bowls of guacamole and another with red and green sauce. I split a chile relleno with Caleb and saved room for a sopapilla. Outside were two women with their cars pointing at each other. They were fumbling with the jumper cables when Dad volunteered Caleb’s expertise and told us he would see us at the house. The women were grateful for the help when the second car started back up.

unemployed and on the street

unemployed and on the street

Dad’s working environment bummed him out and he didn’t feel like playing in the reindeer games. The rest of us opened Caroline’s ukelele book and as she practiced and sung lowly we joined her, but not with as much rhythm, melody, or grace. After 30 minutes it was just lyrics and then we started ad-libbing the songs replacing words with whore and sandwich. Out came the snail puppet to sing-a-long too. Dad went to bed early, lulled to sleep by his family band and my singing turned to yawning. Once the other two begin to put on pajamas I can lay my head next to Piggy’s on the pillow.

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How People Eat Pizza

Posted on June 4, 2014 by TheJessicaness
Caleb and Piggy sleeping

Caleb and Piggy sleeping

We stayed at the house, so Caleb and Piggy could sleep in, and had leftover pizza and hobnobs for breakfast to celebrate my blog’s third anniversary. In that time, I’ve done a lot. I could do a recollection post, but I’m focusing on what I’m going to fill this white space with for the next three years. And maybe a future post will hold a comparison of my writing from when I started until now, though I doubt there will be any difference in my ability to use the correct participle, or maintain a present or past pattern in one paragraph.

Dad took Caroline to work and then himself to the office. I worked on my May 10th post, and then we met Dad for lunch at 12:30. He drove us to Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar – a 20-tabled restaurant with ten seats at the bar on one of the many corners in Biltmore Fashion Park. I took a picture of the construction across the street and of the waitress’ face as it blurred in front of the photo I was trying to take of the place – the cows – the black and white animals on the wall, not the people chewing cud in their seats. 

construction in Scottsdale

construction in Scottsdale

Dad was telling me to take pictures of the fast and convenient service. I thought he might be referring to the food, but two girls walk in and one has offered me a view of half of her ass – literally, and she’s not the only one mistaken for wearing her underwear in public. I’m guessing where I’m going soon the food and sex aren’t so quick to be at your table. I’ve heard other countries have a more relaxed sense of pace, and religion in the Middle East demands a certain level of modesty, especially from Muslim women. 

All the employees wear red converse shoes, the girls wear large gray shirts with elastic in the middle, and the guys wear gray shirts and jeans. Most of the customers looked the same too – multi-blonde dyed hair, flip-flops with fancy straps, and an air of entitlement or purpose (like watching the Kardashians). We enjoyed our burgers – chile relleno for Dad, ahi for Caleb, and the veggie burger for me of course.

because everyone needs another burger photo in their life - you're welcome!

because everyone needs another burger photo in their life – you’re welcome!

Dad ordered the double truffle fries, Caleb the green chili fries, and me the salted caramel milkshake. The food was excellent, but yet again we had ordered too much and leftover fries are never as good. We left early when the conversation behind us got too ‘plastic’ – mirrored lifestyles from reality TV and other media. We thought the shopping plaza had hired parking lot prostitutes when a lady walked by wearing pasties and lace panties – and with a car full of married people all we did was stare, too shy to ask any questions related to work or fashion.

Back at the office and all the employees have coffees, so Caleb and I drive to the nearest Starbucks at 2:45pm to pick something up for the boss. Inside this café it’s quiet minus the hum of the espresso machine, the register, and the electrical currents flowing through plugged in laptops, phones, and tablets. There is one guy reading a newspaper, but the rest of the people are drones to the light coming from their screens. I felt like starting a one-person flash mob to see if anything would happen, but I grabbed the cup and left.

just a peek of what's to come

just a peek of what’s to come

We drop off the beverage and leave him to get some work done. Sparky is taking advantage of the sun coming through the window and on the bed and Piggy is passed out on the floor when we get back to the house. I’m able to publish May 10th after lots of editing but still have to go back and delete extra spaces between words and photos afterwards. Caroline gets home and we hang out until Dad gets home two hours later so we can go to dinner at Mellow Mushroom.

We ordered three small vegetarian pizzas and what started out as an ordinary dinner quickly led to an unforgettable experience. I started to play with my food – chewed some up and showed it to Caleb on my tongue, who was sitting across from me next to Caroline.  Dad was next to me and thought this was a great photo opportunity to try to take the piece of food out of my mouth. My reflex reaction sent a piece of pizza to the seat behind me.

this is how Caroline eats her pizza

this is how Caroline eats her pizza – snozza style!

I chewed up another piece then let it fall on my plate. Dad picked it up with his mouth and then I took it from there. Caleb was able to capture this all on video. I laughed and chewed it up, but if that wasn’t funny enough watching the video did the trick. I lost it seeing Dad trying to hide his laughter and his eyes from catching with ours and allowing the restaurant in on the sound of our laughter. I couldn’t contain myself and let the laughs go. We left with no room for dessert. As we chatted at home, Caleb began to get sleepy-eyed and Dad suggested sleep. It came easier than I thought it would.

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When In Phoenix

Posted on June 3, 2014 by TheJessicaness
Phoenix flora

Phoenix flora

Woke at 6:30 and walked the dogs while Dad made Caroline oatmeal. We accompanied her in the car to work, then went to open the office for Brinn and Dani who were waiting in the parking lot. We went to breakfast at U.S. Egg, then went back to work so Joe could show us what roller coaster rides feel like while wearing an Oculus. Caleb had to sit down for fear he would fall over and experienced a different type of motion sickness – your eyes and brain comprehend one thing, but your body is sending another message.

We peeked over Brinn’s shoulder as we watched him make facades, then we looked through an expensive magazine, Robb Report, that advertises $40k to $200k watches and $286k cars. If we never traveled, or ate, again we could easily afford one of these at the end of our lifetimes. But for those lucky few who become billionaires in their twenties, or later in life, this is a great way for them to spend all those Benjamins and show off all the wealth they’ve earned, and fly into space, fund technology, and donate to charity.

supporting bros and their mustaches at Indo-Euro Foods

supporting bros and their moustaches at Indo-Euro Foods – by Caleb

After being there for two hours I started to bug my dad, while he talked business with Dani, so we could get out of the office and be less of a distraction to his employees. We went back to the house to walk the dogs, upload some more of his Yampa River trip to Flickr, then go to lunch around 2pm. We were going to eat at Gil’s but they were closed for a catering event. We went by Sonal’s, who I love visiting for her kindness, accent, and food.

Dad picked up some Hobnobs for the office and we drove across the street to Spinato’s Pizzeria for lunch. My dad has meant to bring me here for months and we finally get the chance and the furnishings have been redone. The place isn’t packed and the waiter is all ours, or so we pretend as we keep him in conversation – something about baklava and Saba’s and I’m transported mentally to a land of nuts, flames, and flaky goodness.

patiently waiting

patiently waiting – by Caleb

Dad ordered a caprese salad stack, to share (there’s never enough balsamic), and a meat pizza. We got a medium Greek salad pizza, a combination of two of Caleb’s favorite things. Dad tries it and rates it as one of his top five favorites and wants the wife to try it. Lucky for her there are leftovers, but for all of us at the table that ate a slice too many we’re wishing we would’ve saved more for later.

From there we split ways – Dad back to work and us to the house to get puppy paperwork in order, pay bills, and update the blog. We decide first to take a shower. With less smell on our bodies we should be more productive, but that’s not always the case. We end up driving to Banfield close to the house to get their paperwork reprinted with updated shots, then to the Banfield where their appointment will be Friday with the USDA certified vet.

We drove back to the house and are surprised by Caroline sitting at her desk at 6pm. Caleb scanned all the paperwork and emailed it. We waited for Dad to get home at 8:30 so that we could decide on Cheesecake Factory for dinner – lookout warm asparagus salad! We all ate too much and then we shared dessert – two slices and four people. The only fighting was getting someone to stop ourselves from taking that ‘last’ bite (that could’ve just been in my head). Back at the house we were up for another hour before going to bed to catch up on sleep that we lost the night before in the excitement of us showing up early to visit.

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