Yes, Comrades
You currently find me at Philadelphia, got a three hour wait as of now until I board the blimmin' plane. I slept the entire four hour flight, have just bought 200 Mayfair and once this is done, I'll have other pursuits to indulge. However, let's rewind...
I woke up at 9am, there was no one else there. That's never happened before. I decided the need for a slash outweighed the want to stay in bed. Right when I decided this, I saw Irie Nancy's shadow drift past the pinned-up towel that was keeping sunlight out of my room in the front. Like Sheba and Tree say, "Oh well". I got up.
After some time doing morning things like fixing my Jack Nicholson from The Shining look, we headed to the Zias at Camelback. Still no Dawn, but we did spy something Nancy recommended: Reefer Madness. Also spied the perfect gift for someone. I got that along with the 'Madness Trilogy'. The films are unintentionally hilarious and misinformed 30s propaganda films. I didn't realise it until we were en route to Mama Sheba's, but the gift I bought already had the Madness Trilogy on it, along with 17 other films. I swear, sometimes I can be really stupid, buying two of the same thing...
At Sheba's, I saw her, Eddie, Debbie, Tree, Anjelica, other Eddie and yet another relative I hadn't met before. I gave them their gifts of an Abbey Road LP and a Jo Koy DVD. Don't think I've mentioned him yet, but Sheba loves that comedian - throughout the trip she was repeating the "I'm sorry Joseph" sleep apnia routine, presumably to drive me to insanity. It's like he was on the trip with us, should've bought him a present (sorry again Nancy)!
We took a drive to see Tempe Beach Park again. It was completely empty this time, not a soul to be seen in the super scorching sun. We strolled alongside the lake and didn't take long to get back in the car to see Buffalo Exchange, a thrift shop. One mention of that Macklemore bastard will land tha in hot water.
I saw a snazzy white jacket, but left it. We popped back home to get my smokes. There, plenty of hugs and handshakes were exchanged, culminating in Mr Nancy presenting me with a watch. Wow, innit? Back to Sheba's to pick her up and make haste to Lolo's Chicken And Waffles. I mean, for fuck's sake. Chicken and waffles? Pleased to report the very left field combination somehow worked. Only in America.
Irie Nancy, Mama Sheba, Tree, Debbie and I sat out back and had our final, or my final, blunts. Enjoyed them, but I've definitely built a tolerance born of keeping up with those crazies. My self-control has soared, even though I say so myself. We left, dropped Sheba off and headed to the drive-in again.
Even without popcorn or beer, the experience is still better. World War Z, which I believe we were watching on its release day. I actually really liked it, they've somehow reinvented the zombie all over again. Four stars, would recommend. Straight home after this, no music. It couldn't top the moment where we drove to Sheba's and felt the raw, emotional sucker punch that Elbow's Newborn brings anyway.
I showed Nancy me old Bebo (mind that shite?) photos, I saw a few minutes of her years-old home video and we watched a bit of Reefer Madness. It was every bit as brilliant as I expected. The moment came too quick: 3:30am. We quietly got in the car and made the melancholy journey back to Sky Harbor. I had to sacrifice my shoes gift to meet the suitcase weight limit and at around 5am, we said bye. In the words of the immortal Del Boy, "This isn't goodbye, it's just...bonjour"
Well droogs, this is essentially the end of our little story, for now. I've met a lot of good, funny, interesting people, I've had some times that will be hard to top, I've enjoyed the lot. I will return to Phoenix, sooner than you might think. My heart fell heavy as I saw the city, the mountains and the lakes become smaller and more distant from the sky. Yeah I'm going to go back, of course I'm going to go back. I'd be doing America a disservice by not doing so! I've apparently touched a lot of people here, and I know they've touched me. Now if you'll excuse me, I need a beer. See you somewhere down the road.
All ends with beginnings
What keeps the planets spinning
The force from the beginning
The present has no ribbon
Your gift keeps on giving
What is this I'm feeling?
If you want to leave, I'm with it
We've come too far
To give up who we are
So let's raise the bar
And our cups to the stars
She's up all night to the sun
I'm up all night to get some
She's up all night for good fun
I'm up all night to get lucky
We're up all night to the sun
We're up all night to get some
We're up all night for good fun
We're up all night to get lucky
We're up all night to get lucky
We're up all night to get lucky
We're up all night to get lucky
We're up all night to get lucky"
In a bit.
SD
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