My First Day In Arizona With A Double Filet-O-Fish & Lost Bets

Desert Mountains East Of Phoenix

In the picture I am about 30 miles from being on the ground in Phoenix. It'd been about 3 years since I've seen scenic scenery of the mountain sort.

I was surprised by the big lake to the east of Phoenix. I later learned it was called Lake Roosevelt. Washington has a Lake Roosevelt on the Columbia River behind Grand Coulee Dam. I saw no dam that accounted for this Lake Roosevelt.

I had no annoying incidents flying US Airways today. Except for the fact that the last time I flew this airline it was still US West and then, in addition to something to drink, they also threw you a bag of something to open up and eat.

Hiking Through Sky Harbor Airport

Today was my first time experiencing the new thing, to me, of ordering small morsels of food and paying for it with a credit card swiping device.

This was also the first time I've flown since virtually every airline, except Southwest, charges to check in a bag. This charge to check in a bag seems to have caused people to try and take too much on board, which resulted in the overhead bins getting too full and causing those with wheeled on carry-ons to be told they had to check in their bag.

I said earlier today that my only walking today would likely be via the long hike through an airport. This turned out to be true. So far. The Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport helps speed up the walking with a moving sidewalk. At the end of the moving sidewalks I had to do some auto-walking en route to the baggage claim area.

When I finally saw the baggage claim area I also suddenly saw my mom and dad and sister. Soon my sister was driving us out of the Phoenix Airport. My sister said it was the biggest airport in the world. I did not disabuse my sister of this notion because I'd already been humiliated by saying that Susan Lucci had never been on Dancing with the Stars. My sister made a bet with me on this issue and then quickly used her smart phone to prove me wrong.

McDonald's Is My Kind Of Place

The loser of the Susan Lucci bet has to get into my sister's swimming pool. Methinks this may have been what is known as a sucker bet, with my sister, apparently, not knowing that me getting in a pool this time of year is no problem at all.

After we finally left the world's biggest airport my sister drove us all over looking for a place to eat.

I have to say, one thing has really struck me, so far, every where I go in the Phoenix zone the land is landscaped. Every intersection, every freeway exit, everywhere. It is such a contrast with a certain other area of the Southwest with which I am familiar that does not even landscape the freeway exits to its top tourist attraction.

Eventually my sister found this really cool restaurant called McDonald's. My sister told me all the McDonald's with which she is associated have been re-tooled into the slick ultra modern type one she took me to today.

Heavy Traffic In The Desert Outside Phoenix

I had a Double Filet-O-Fish. With some other things. One of which was a Mango/Pineapple Smoothie.

Soon after we left McDonald's, we left civilization and passed through desert that is Indian land. Eventually this led us to Sun Lakes and my mom and dad's place, which is where I am now.

It is rather warm. I don't know if air conditioning exists in this part of the country. I suspect it does, but it is not running at my current location.

I just checked. It is currently 84 degrees at my current location on the planet. The location I left a few hours ago is currently 74 degrees.

I think I'll take a walk around the grounds and take some pictures of palm trees, citrus trees and cactus.