Quite a surprise

Our preparations for driving back to Everett were moving along and we were scheduled to pick up our u-haul Saturday, Feb. 26. But at 2 a.m. that morning I awoke struggling for breath. A call to our HMO produced advice to get to urgent care. So we drove up to the Mayo Clinic Hospital north on the northern borders of Phoenix. I was admitted right away with mitral valve prolapse. The valve, which was identified as a problem 18 months ago, had essentially blown out. My lungs were filling with fluid.

Further testing showed I also had four partially-blocked heart arteries. The plan was to perform open-heart surgery and fix everything at once. Preference was to repair the bad valve. If that wasn't possible, it would be replaced with a mechanical or tissue valve.

I also had a urinary tract infection, which complicated things. If the mitral valve damage was caused by infection both repair and healing would be greatly complicated. Blood tests showed no blood infection but a test of the valve itself would be needed for confirmation. I'll finish this after lunch.

Found the modern

We drove up to Lon's for breakfast. Lon's is a very nice old inn and restaurant in Paradise Valley, one of the area's high-end neighborhoods. Lon Megargee was a cowboy painter and illustrator, a contemporary of Charlie Russell (Google will show you his work). The old hacienda is decorated with his illustrations. Very nice.

We then drove up to Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's digs during the winter. On the way I took photos of some midcentury modern homes we passed. These are not all that common in the Phoenix area. The houses across the street were pretty standard ranches with tile roofs, very common here.

Wright and his acolytes built Taliesin over a number of years on a shoestring, using stone and gravel from the site. They placed the stone and concrete in plywood forms to make the walls. The doorways are low (Wright was short and thought any height beyond six feet was wasted) but he was into the interior spaces, not the entries.

One of the coolest items was a fountain built from what looked like the end of a big propane tank. Large holes were cut in the dome and as water fell through it created waves that made floating glass balls bump against the steel, causing it to tone like a deep gong. I want one.

On the drive back we rolled through another part of Paradise Valley and saw some of the largest and (sorry Phoenix) ugliest homes I've ever beheld. There's something to be said for the architectural conservatism of the east coast. It may be boring, but most of the errors there are less dramatic.

After we got back we walked downtown. Pam spotted a frog sculpture and decided kissing one frog in her life was not enough. I guess her first frog hasn't made the full transition into a prince.

Queen Creek

This morning I went to deal with the Scottsdale Bureaucracy about the red light camera notice that arrived in the mail Saturday. No success yet, but this exquisitely irritating situation will cost time and money. I now drive like a granny. I plan to avoid Scottsdale.

We drove to Queen Creek in the afternoon to visit the Olive Mill. Another geezerfest. Queen Creek is way southeast of Phoenix, down where budget housing developments (Homes starting at $117,000!) are squeezing out the valley's last farms. Flat and seemingly endless, this grand valley is made for sprawl. And sprawl is what it's got. Most roads run north-south and east-west. Drive down any of these, city center or boondocks, and you'll pass huge blocks of vacant land. There's no real need to redevelop inside the city; apparently it's cheaper to just move farther out.

The weak economy has clearly hurt this region. Everywhere are shuttered businesses and "available" signs. I'll grab some pix.

We bought a bottle of olive oil and headed back, hitting another rain squall on the way. Watched the season end of "Men of a Certain Age," a great show.

Rain again

Everett has pro-level rain; Phoenix is definitely at the amateur level. We heard rain overnight (the water falls three stories from the roof down a steel spout, then rattles the base of the spout -- makes a lot of noise) that continued this morning. After a slow start we decided to head out for breakfast. By then the rain had stopped.

Coco's is close, but the lot was almost empty. A sign on the door said their power was out. So we wandered down Indian School Road looking for an alternative. Turning up 7th Avenue we saw Two Hippies Breakfast Joint. The place was crowded but the price was right and the food turned out OK. You order at the counter, then they call your name to get the chow.

One woman customer was wearing her pants half hanging off her butt, hiphop fashion. Ladies, is this style au courant? I don't recall it at New York Fashion Week. Two Hippies occupies the same block as Bizarre Guitars and Drums and Go Kat Go, which specializes in midcentury furniture (trending toward the kitchy), vintage hot rod and rat bike style with a little pinup tossed in for good measure.

We next drove down to Tempe (southeast of Phoenix) and visited the Changing Hands bookstore. Nice big shop. In the afternoon we took a walk over to Fifth Avenue (10 blocks west) and back. Saw a fabulous block of arts and crafts bungalows, unfortunately located just south of the I-10 freeway and smothered in traffic noise.

I am tired of the Olympics. Figure skating especially.

When it rains, do art!

It rained today, so we headed up to the Heard Museum to check out the American Indian artwork. Saw more sculpture by Allan Houser (here are a couple of photos), a cool Inuit art exhibit and an exhibit of little silver vessels (seed pots) grown out of the heritage of clay pots the Indians used to make to hold seeds.

These have no real function (they're only two to four inches across) but have become an outlet for the creative work of silver artists. Very cool.

We also saw work by Henry Fonseca, an artist of Nisenan Maidu (Indians near Sacramento), Hawaiian and Portuguese descent. He did these coyotes.

Tonight we're heading to the theater.

Big Rotary

Wrapped up a job in the morning, then drove up 7th Street to the Phoenix Country Club for a makeup at the Rotary 100 club. I happened to sit at a table with two former club presidents (one a WWII destroyer sailor) and Don Goldwater, who is a nephew of Barry Goldwater and a backer of J. D. Hayworth, a right wing talk show talker challenging John McCain for US Senate. This is a big club of 325 members. I didn't talk politics.

The speaker discussed prostate problems. After the meeting most of the members and I headed to the men's room. As I mentioned to the guys in line, we are the prime candidates. They laughed.

We picked up play tickets in the afternoon, then met Heather, Debbie and Ula at Chauvont for happy hour.

Into the red rock

Wednesday (yesterday) was mundane. Work to do in the morning, then closed things out by heading down to the George & Dragon pub for the monthly Riders Association of Triumph meeting.

At 22 attendees it was their biggest meeting in months. Saw NYSteve and several other riders from Saturday's venture again, and picked up a GSXR master cylinder from Steve to try out on the Sprint. Nice collection of bikes out in the parking lot. No program really, just good conversation and invites to further riding while in the area.

As our days here dwindle down to a precious few we're starting to feel the pressure. So today we headed north on I-17 to Sedona. It's a two-hour slog up the Interstate, over a fairly high (4000-foot plus) pass that isn't marked at the summit. Then off the freeway onto a two-lane and into the spectacular red rimrock of Sedona.

Though I couldn't feel the spiritual energy vortex that New Agers claim is here (maybe I should have stopped at the crystal shop) we did have a great late lunch at Shugrue's Hillside Grill. Not cheap, and you didn't have to buy lunch to know it. Just see how much jewelry the ladies at the next table were sporting.





The mountains are spectacular and surround the town. We took a side trip to a remarkable Catholic chapel designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright and built into a rock formation south of town, on Federal land. Thanks, Barry Goldwater. A remarkable place.

While up at the chapel I grabbed a shot of a hilltop home down below. A triumph of money over taste. Crystals needed, a massage and some serious meditation.

Back home by 7:30. Fun day!