02-06-11 - We are the champions

Paul Paulsen
02-06-11
We are the champions,
We are the champions.
No time for losers
For we are the champions
Of the world
32 miles
Superbowl Sunday
I have decided to stay at Tortilla Flats for at least a few days. I like th econnection ot Steinbeck though this placeis not related to the book at all. Just that I’m staying at a campsite with a name in common to a Steinbeck novel seems good synchronicity to me. Maybe “Red Pony Campground” next?!
Going into town to see if I can get internet access (and Cell reception); do some laundry and get bottled water and some things for the Superbowl - more coals/firewood, maybe check out the Goodwill for a new parka (zipper broke) and maybe size 42 pants.
The weather has warmed. Last night was much easier to sleep through.. At sunset a pack of coyotes howled. This morning at dawn again. Reminded me of Bela saying “Ah, the children of the night. What…strange music they make.”
It was interesting. At first a long lone howl. Then a cacophony of voices rising in chorus to a …three stooges act! And close by too!
I never see them, but like Apache’s of old their stealth moves even in a pack can get them near any campsite if their interest is high enough. At night I keep the tent zipped up tight. If I have to step out even for just a minute, to keep Mischa safe. Daytime she is with me on a leash and I trust to the coyotes temerity during the daylight.
Walked Mischa and then we went into town. First to the local “town” of Tortilla Flats to buy a Tonto
Pass from the local Ice Cream Shoppe. I find that in order to use my debit card to purchase the passes I’d need to add an additional $5 to the purchase. And the merchant announced the policy rather rudely. I determined never to buy anything from that store. Trying to gouge five dollars from shoppers who didn’t pay cash is abhorrent. I can see that they make nothing on the sale of the Tonto Pass and even that the credit card company will charge them a fee for every transaction - but it’s not going to cost them five dollars and it’s part of the cost of doing business. Instead of treating the customer s a villain, they could be welcoming to the customer and try to upsale them to an additional purchase or at least “come back later for some of our great tasting Ice cream” or other such product. As the saying goes you only get one chance to make a goood first impression. And my first impression is that the Ice cream Shoppe at Tortilla Flats will never get a cent from me until they treat their credit card customers the same as they treat their cash customers…or at least with some basic civility.
On to Apache Junction.
My goal for the day - go to the laundry and use the interenet - closed on Sunday. Damn.
Stopped by the feed Store to buy a can of bag Balm for my chapped hands. They have it, but just the regular size not the small container I was hoping for. This will last me a few years.
Next, Goodwill. Hoping to see if they have any levi’s in 42x30, my current jeans are sliding down. I look like a high school kid at times - without a belt, forget it!
No luck. All off brands, don’t trust ‘em.
On to the 99c Only Store to get things for the campsite Superbowl gathering. Then Frys supermarket for firewood & Ice and gas. It has been $2.99 but was 3.05 today. Bummer.
I stop on the way back to camp at a place called the “Dash Inn” Same policy as the Ice Cream Shoppe, but I have gotten cash just in case. I know you can buy w/credit card elsewhere with no additional purchase required because the first two places I went to had no such policy. But they were businesses in town and these other “operators” were inside or on the border of the Tonto National Forest.
Back to camp. On the way in I get a keening sound like a radiator overheating or a hose bursting. I pull off to the side. It stops.
It happens again, same thing.
The constant in both situations is I was having to ride the breaks behind slow moving traffic. When the clutch job was done nad after the car was returned to me they mentioned it “might need a break job soon”.
Seems “soon” is now.
Something to check on Tuesday when I head back to town.
Getting past the slow moving caravan, a camper several cars and Me, I get back to the campesite, unload my provisions an d fresh laundry. Oh, I forgot the stop at the Laundromat. Mischa got to come in and people loved her!
Anyway, It’s about 2:30pm, so I head down to where the superbowl gathering iswith the things I brought to share (sodas, chips, dips and Veggies) just in time to see bob, the camp host, setting up the 32” Dish system. People come and go till the game finally begins.
And 12-17 people show up during the game. I start out wearing shorts but quickly move to jeans and a parka(though staying in my sandals!)
A good game. Closer at the end.
Packers Win! (I’m sure it was covered in the papers.
The Best part - warmest night in 5 days!