A Lively Mix

~Thursday, January 27, 2022~

Day 592

We enjoyed starting off with a nice pancake breakfast and a smoothie for the busy day ahead. I hope it wasn’t my cooking that set Jeff off the wrong path this morning. Poor guy suddenly came down with a bout of constant sneezing, congestion and itchy eyes. Allergies are rare for both of us and the fact that we’ve already been here for 4 days puzzles us as to why this is happening all of the sudden. Winds have been mild. But I do have a theory. Jeff’s been reading next to a shrub/small tree at our campsite that drops these sticky dry, white flowers that I see clinging to his clothes. I’m just wondering if he relocates his reading chair, that might solve his problem?? I can’t think of what else it could be. Allergens in the desert? So for relief, I was requested to pick up some allergy medicine to make him feel better (we normally don’t keep any of that stuff on hand). I guess he didn’t like my idea of using the neti pot or putting his face over a nice, hot steam pot.

As I headed into the metro area of Tucson, I was reminded of San Jose, CA a bit, in terms of its miles and miles of urban sprawl and congestion. Lots of traffic, lots of stop lights, it seemed to take forever for me to get from one end of town to another. Now I see why Tucson is ranked as the 33rd largest city in the U.S. (San Jose is 10th). However, one big difference it holds is its backdrop of dramatic tall mountains in every direction, interspersed with Saguaros and other desert scape. And nearly every evening, the skies don’t disappoint with their spectacular display of color, even from the inner-city. But I am grateful to be in a place where I have a variety of stores to help me conquer my need list…….Trader Joe’s (yeh!!!), Wal-Mart, PetSmart for Sadie’s nail trim, and a UPS Store to ship a few items. Man, is it me or have grocery prices gone through the roof? If things keep up, between gas and food, it looks like we’ll have to make some adjustments to the budget. Right now I think we’re off by at least 20%. Stay tuned on that one. All in all, my quest took me into the early evening hours, but I got it all done. I’m sure my husband enjoyed his rare alone time. Of course, upon returning from any shopping excursion, the challenge is finding a place for it all. Reorganization of the pantry and fridge/freezer is invariably a must, but I like the challenge. And it’s lookin’ like a popcorn dinner tonight.