We started our second week in Phoenix with a trip to a local dentist to get our semi-annual teeth cleaning. (Hard to believe we’ve been on the road that long already!)
3 hours, and countless xrays and oral probings later, we got a detailed punch list of what Amy, Carrie and I “need” in the way of dental work (they were unable to fit in Em and Nat). The estimated cost? A mere $15,000 for the 3 of us! They tried to sell us on the whole fix-it-before-it’s-a-problem philosophy, but they’ll simply have to find another – how shall I say – “insured” set of mouths in which to construct their monuments to dental perfection.
Carrie does have a pretty nice cavity festering, so I’ll either bone up on DIY dental procedures or we’ll find a more reasonably priced dentist. Probably the latter.
Valentines day was a mixed bag of festivities. All the ladies in the RV got a rose for V-day, and then we celebrated Christmas with my mom:
…and then we celebrated Amy’s half birthday. Amy didn’t really get a birthday this year since it was so shortly after my dad died. My girls make a big deal about their half birthdays, so hey, why not Amy too?
One of the pluses of this RV trip is all of the time we get to spend together as a family, but the downside is that Amy and I don’t exactly get very many “date nights.” So being with relatives, we made darn sure to exploit them: my girls had a little sleep-over with Grandma at my Aunt Bonnie’s and Uncle Bob’s house, and Amy and I had an eerily quiet RV to ourselves.
We got up early the next morning for a rugged sunrise hike:
At Piestewa Peak in the Phoenix Mountains overlooking the city. Great hike and an amazing view:
The mountain air was great, which is more than I can say for downtown Phoenix. Check out the yellowish haze:
After our hike we grabbed some breakfast. Weird name; great pancakes!
During our stay in Phoenix, my girls got to meet and spend time with their younger cousins. It sure brought back memories of when my girls were that little!
On Saturday we stopped in to see my grandma one last time before leaving town:
She enjoyed looking at old photos and could remember some names and faces from way back. Unfortunately, most of the memories from the last 10 or 15 years seem to be gone. I don’t think she knew exactly who I was, but she seemed to know that I was a vaguely familiar and friendly face. It was great to spend time with her and very hard to say goodbye.
We spent the rest of the day working on the RV. Cleaned ‘er top to bottom. I even got rid of the ugly yellow haze baked onto my headlight covers. Check it out:
Before:
Sand off the jive:
Buff in the shine. My headlights seriously look brand new now.
That night we hung out one last time at my Aunt Bonnie’s and Uncle Bob’s house. It was so nice to spend time with them the last couple of weeks. Bob & Bonnie: Thank you both for your kind hospitality and letting our girls run wild in your house and annoy your grumpy geriatric cat.
This afternoon we had a nice sunny drive to Tuscon. Here’s our camping spot at the Pima County Fairgrounds:
It’s a dry, windy place — noticeably cooler than Phoenix — but I like it.
We’ve got lots planned this week: Titan Missile Museum, Pima Air and Space Museum, and Saguaro National Park.