March Break 2011 -- Arizona With a Side of Mexico

March Break is done and dusted for yet another year.... sigh!  I started planning this year's Mach Break last August when I asked Kathy if I could come and visit her in SW Arizona this year, I made my first trip there March Break of 2007 and you can read about it here.  When I got the word that I could go ahead and book my flight in August, I did it just days later because I got an AMAZING price out of Ottawa which if you live in this area you know never happens!!  So I had been waiting for this  trip for months.  I was so glad that Kathy and her husband were willing to open up their home to me, this past summer I barely saw Kathy becuase she was getting her new hom ready.

On Saturday March 12th, the day was finally here!  I got up super early that morning to be welcomed by a dreary, snowy day.  Thank goodness I was going south!  Todd dutifully drove me to the airport so that I could beat the March Break rush to check in, get through security, and customs.  Well I was shocked to find the airport pretty quiet.

Which meant there was definately time to get a tea from Timmies (my last real cup of tea for almost a week), put on some tunes and stitch!  I ran into two teacher from work, one of them Jay whose fairly new on staff, it turned out he was on my first flight to Chicago.  We made arrangements to sit together, it was a neat chance to get to know the new guy better!  It was funny, I was on my way to Yuma, he was on his way to Pheonix.  However our paths did seperate in Chicago as I was going onto LA and he was going via Denver.  I think this must of been the longest day of my life!  About half way through my leg to LA I wanted the HELL off of that plane!  I think I had enough of sitting sttill and stitching... can you beleive it?  I arrived at the Yuma airport at dinner time, it was a long day!

Going throug the mountain on our way to see Judie

A quick stop at Dateland for my Date Shake!  That  was sooo tasty!

Read closely!

See the lobby of the inn... yup its a UFO the "Space Lodge" in Gila Bend

Miles and miles of road and arid landscape

Sunday morning Kathy and I were up early, my alarm went off at 6am instead of 7am due to that iPhone glitch that happened due to daylight savings time.  So I got myself out of bed and went for my first outdoor run since probably November.  Boy that was GREAT!  We hit the road for Miracopia Springs to go visit with Judie also from up here who was in the area for a two week vacation.  When she found out when I was going to be down there she was kind enough to make sure her trip overlapped mine.  By lunchtime Kathy, Judie and I were sitting outside by the pool stitching our little hearts out!  We did stop for lunch and dinner out but we stitched until bedtime.  I hadn't had a nice long stretch like that in weeks!

Monday morning we all packed up our stuff, and headed into Pheonix (Mesa to be exact) to check out the LNS, The Attic.  We were meeting there with Angie who like Kathy is a snow bird from Brighton, also meeting us there were Annette and Bette, bloggers I have known for years.

Bette (L) & Kathy (R) having a bit of a chat (sorry its backlit)

I have to say The Attic was overwhelming!!!  There was just sooo much there to look at it was hard to figure out where to start.  We spent about an hour there, I think it would of taken me days to properly go through it all!  They also had an astronomical number of fantastic models on the wall.  If you're a sampler fan, this is your vision of Heaven!

Angie getting ready to pay

Judie, just thrilled by the day's purchases

Desptie giving myself permission to drop a bomb at the Attic my stash haul was a little on the disappointing  side.  I think the reasons are becuase there was just SO MUCH and also if you've read this blog for any amount of time you know I'm not exactly a sampler type girl.  Not in the picture are a beautiful pair of scissors I got, I don't know the brand but their feel is just devine!

L to R back : Annette, Bette, Judie & Angie

front : Me & Kathy

Shopping burns a fair amount of calories, I can assure you so we needed to go re-fuel and chat over a nice meal!  I was so glad that Bette and Annette were able to join us!  It was great to meet and talk to Bette in person and it was good to see Annette again (she had come up to Toronto for the Creativ Festival a few years ago).  The resturant we were at was accompanied by a fantastic mall but Kathy and I decided to head back to Yuma after a quick stop at Bass Pro Shops for Kathy's son.  During the morning the van's radiator had sprung a leak.  Thank goodness, over the years Todd has taught me how to take care of a vehicle's vital fluids.  We managed to get the van back a little later than palnned, and 3 bottles of antifreeze later!  Kathy's husband now says I'm welcome anytime :-)

The Attic may have been my idea of heaven, but this sure is Todd's idea of heaven!!!

On Tuesday the van went into the shop so what do resourceful stitchers do?  Well we stitch our hearts out!  The weather was gorgeous so we sat outside until lunchtime, when it became too hot at 93 F!  Kathy is determined to get her lighthouse round robin finished up and I am just enthralled by Enchantment of Winter (progress pictures soon).  That night we went to the Casino with two other couples from Canada for the wonderful $7.99 steak and shrimp... and well who couldn't resist the one armed bandits?  I was lucky and broke even for the night.  Kathy and her husband have made some wonderful friends on their travels, everyone has been so nice to me!

  

About to walk into Mexico... my 4th country in 4 weeks!

Sadly Wednesday was my last day with Kathy in Arizona.  We were up early since it was promising to be a hot day (94F) and we wanted to go shopping in Mexico!  Well, I wanted to go shopping in Mexico.  It amazes me how we could just walk right into Mexico, no customs, no one checking passports, I can assure you its another story getting back out.

Here are some of the colourful sights from our morning trip to Mexico.

Kathy wants this, so do I -- neither of us bought it home

I was sad that my trip was over all so soon, but it was time to head back home so I could be back in time for retreat!

I had some time to waste so here are the sights that caught my interest at Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

Kathy, thanks for a wonderful vacation!  I loved every minute of it!