Tuesday, July 12, 2005 - The July vacation (the first of two week-long vacations annually) for kbartram came to an end this past weekend. It was one of the best on record, and as with all vacations, not nearly long enough.

The first part of the multi-part vacation started with Chris Walsh and Carey Granger in Tombstone, my favorite place in the world. A couple hangovers later, I departed for Phoenix (on July 4). On the way, I blew a tire, had to call AAA, and went to Wal-Mart for a new tire. I arrived in Phoenix in the late afternoon.

Upon arrival in Phoenix, I went with Chris to watch Fourth of July fireworks at the Arizona Country Club on Thomas Road in Scottsdale, AZ. It was quite a show. After the show was over, I returned to drinking, and pretty much rounded out the evening with another large-scale hangover.

The following evening (Tuesday), Chris and I visited Mike O'Brien and Cathy McWhorter at their home in North Phoenix. We went swimming for awhile and enjoyed some Jösef Bierbitzch Gölden Pilsner. Good stuff. They have a very funny commercial on their website, bierbitzch.com. Watch it!

On Wednesday, I was supposed to go home, but I didn't - too lazy. I'm glad I didn't. Instead of going home, I went to Huddleston Trucking Service, Inc., of Phoenix, and collected my paycheck. That was a good idea since I was broke at the time and did not have sufficient funds to finance the return trip home. I spent most of the afternoon on Mill Avenue in Tempe, AZ.

I went in search of the Mill Avenue Beer Company, which apparently has closed. That sucked, I loved that place! Oh, well. I ended up at My Big Fat Greek Restaurant and proceeded to run amok. In the process, Chris and I managed to try several Greek Beers, and even met a pretty girl (pictured above).

She was cool, and she made me realize that I need to get out more often. Don't plan the wedding just yet, though. She stayed in the Phoenix area, and I returned home to Benson. It was still fun. At any rate, on Thursday I came home, with Chris in tow, and got drunk ... again. Seems to be a pattern!

Chris and I went to Tombstone on Friday and later met up with John. After another night of boozing, the three of us went to Naco, in Mexico. While there, I bought antibiotics (tetracycline, 500 mg) for my seemingly permanent mouth problems, a carton of Marlboro Reds ($16), and a bottle of 100 Años Tequila, made by Sauza ($15). Pretty cool, huh?

After leaving Mexico, we returned to Tombstone to see Carey. He had the day off, so now our group of four went to my house and watched movies and drank. Actually, I was still hungover from the night before and I did not drink.

Chris drove Carey back to Tombstone Sunday morning at 8:30, and then drove himself home at about 9:30. John left around 3:30. I spent the remainder of my vacation cleaning, doing laundry, and other household chores getting ready for what has been a very shitty work week thus far.