Last week I disappeared into a desert dwelling state of mind: A week in Phoenix filled with Tapatio, FIAT rides, nights with Black Sabbath, pints of beer, tequila, cacti hangs, cherry smoked salmon and Cornish pasty parties — i love you so much you whacky desert. Typically, my stints in the desert of late have been so much of a whirlwind, I’m literally cruising on auto pilot for most of it; but this time around a full week of decompression and dusty desert was legit exactly what I needed. Nearly a year ago, the plan of seeing Black Sabbath’s final-final show was put into action, as in “ok, we have tickets!” And then a week ago it was, “oh shit, we need a flight!” And now a week later, Snowblind and War Pig satisfied, it’s continuously fulfilling to just reflect on all the mini adventures of a desert hang.
First, let’s talk FIAT – it’s definitely more than a two seater. In this travel scenario there was no rental of a car, rather it was borrowing the new family caboose ~ the FIAT and let’s just say it’s an adorable vehicle for standard transmission training. It also creates quite the conversational uproar when parking in a back lot for a hidden bowling alley bar at 1am. Next, Black Sabbath – Stoner Rock FOREVER. Ozzy killed it and the 10 minute drum solo holy shit; enough said. After over a year of waiting for the final-final show, it was definitely a perfect setting under the desert sky, with a hilltop view, being enveloped in the wailings of Oz. Finally, the feeding frenzy can not be overlooked. The consumption of ahi tuna, salmon, scallops, shrimp, bagels (let’s not forget the discovery of 8+ containers of cream cheese), bananas, burritos, the wild west In & Out of Tempe, which was comically overflowing with college kids in cowboy boots, and last but not least the cross country traveling cornish pasty. The cornish pasty is key because every desert dweller needs to take with them a piece of the home town pie; and the pasty pie is perfection.
I could soak up the color scheme of the hazy desert eternally; the tranquility, the weirdness, the wild prickly fun and bottomless Tapatio. But for now it’s back to the east coast, Philly state of mind: Grunge for Life, Kenzingers, kitty cats and cocktails.