FRIDAY, JULY 17, SUN LAKES, ARIZ. � Said goodbye to Chris, Pablo, and Julia this morning � they abandoned camping after last night�s monsoon for a weekend in Tucson � Jon was called in at 1 a.m. for emergency surgery. Julia, in the morning, was in �one of those moods� � I DON�T WANT TO GO ... SWIMMING!! she shouted.

Cool morning drive 90 West to Lordsburg through the mountains again one last time out of the peaks seeing Lordsburg 10 miles away in the desert flatland � to I-10 westbound, Arizona-bound. Dust storm warnings � hit 100 mph near Wilcox � passed up on The Thing (a mummy? CJ thinks) saw first real cactus (saguaro) at 12:12 in the noon and ostrich farm just after Tucson lunch in hot Arizona sun. � Stopped for refreshing water douse at Arizona rest stop. � Drove through Sun Lake and found Bobby's pawn shop.

Mom was right � he�s just like Uncle Paul � even sounds like him at times. That pawn shop is a scene � people with guns, jewelry, out of jail, gambling problems selling family�s things � and I was only there 90 minutes. Met Kathy (again?) and Janet, and Tank (Miss America), the horses, dogs and goats. Had dinner at the American Grill and enjoyed the meal � sorry, though, to not spend more time.

Got to Courtenay�s and went with her and CJ to The Mask of Zorro � great movie; really well done � better than I thought and I never would�ve gone myself.

Then, coming back, Courtenay tried to let me into the neighbor�s house to go to bed and she set off the alarm. Not sure how to fix it she ran to get her mom � waking up both parents for the fiasco. Courtenay and her mom dealt with the alarm company on the phone, then I moved in and began writing and bookkeeping with Dick Van Dyke and Bob Newhart on Nick at Nite � then the security guard knocked on the door and I had to explain it all to him � but with so much detail and telling him to go to the Collins� for a second opinion. He�s not back yet, so I think he�s sold ... I hope, now that it�s 2:30 a.m. Saturday.

Arizona heat
Leave nothing in the car here
If you want it back

Desert driving � hot �
Roadside cactus standing tall,
Sentinels on watch

SATURDAY, JULY 18, SUN LAKES � Spent a Saturday at the mall � After telling Courtenay's family about last night (security guard never went over there) over breakfast, CJ, Courtenay and I went to the mall to do stuff and escape 110s Arizona heat. Cute Rattler cheerleaders eyeing me at one of the special setups there in the mall. After wonderful Mrs. C. Italian dinner, we headed for BOB � I got a single dollar ticket and walked into the park � in right field behind the pool. Took a picture and some more, walked around to CJ and Courtenay, then bought M. Williams jersey (black BP with the A) and cap (black, teal bill) and headed up up up up to 300 section cheap seats. Watched most of the 4-2 D�backs win from there then caught up with C and CJ for the end and came home and chatted for a little while. Now to bed.

Arizona seems to have fragrant air. It might be the freon or the AC somehow, but it�s a clean, smooth smell I noticed at the movies, in the mall and at BOB � there, though, it seemed like it could almost be the grass inside that 21st century wonder, or a combination of the two.

Ball field stretching out �
A green-grass outfield carpet
All under one roof

Fair lady Audrey
Dancing all night 'cross Spanish plains
Such a pretty face

SUNDAY, JULY 19, SUN LAKES � Went across the street � it�s like a sitcom, the neighbor just walks over and lets himself in � for a great French toast breakfast. After CJ left, Courtenay and I went with her parents and did some shopping up in Scottsdale. The Field of Dreams store there had a Sandra Bullock autograph, but it was a bad picture � and $400. Got Will a D�Backs shot glass.

They took us out to an Italian place for pizza � good, too, especially for a place so far from New York. It didn�t seem as hot here today � either it was cooler or less humid � The news said 103. Courtenay and I made it to BOB just in time for the National Anthem and saw a 6-4 come-from-behind Diamondbacks win. (See scorecard). The didn�t open the roof, though � too bad. After the first game, the public address announcer told the fans who seemed to be lingering in the ballpark that the roof would not be opening. So, with the homestand over and the grass looking pretty weak in the outfield, Courtenay and I waited around to see if the Roof-Opening Music would be played and if the stars would �come out.� The Diamondbacks allowed kids to run the bases, and the line was still stretching far into the stands 45 minutes after the game ended, so we left. When I drove by BOB on the highway at 4:30 the next morning, the roof was open.

Mrs. Collins suggested I send out a newsletter after I return to tell everyone I stayed with about the trip � as I had planned to do, so I now certainly will. And, since the alarm is set for 3:30 � less than four hours from now � so I can make it across the desert while it�s still cool, I must now turn in.

Hot sun beats down here �
Careful when you go outside,
You might burn quickly