And the last time we were there we spent our time in Los Cabos.

Hilary and I did make it out to Phoenix for an immigration rally and march that happened over my birthday weekend. It was unbelievable! Thousands of people attended – all shapes, sizes, colors and creeds. Really amazing. Later that night at our hotel things got a little out of hand. Not with the marchers or anyone involved in the rally. Things got outta hand when we got sucked into the vortex of two cranky, old, rich drunk dudes and the one’s train conductor girlfriend. But that’s a story for another day. Lemme just say that old drunk golfers falling down are hilarious!

We leave again April 3rd to head back down to Baja California Sur. Can’t forget the Sur as that makes the Mexicans salty. This time we will be meeting Hilary in Mazatlan. From there we’ve got a cabin booked on the ferry to La Paz. After La Paz we head back to Los Cabos. I can almost feel it: family, good people, great food, sand, sun and tequila. It’s almost time to get my shorts and flip flops out!

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Please forward widely and share with your community:

Please join No More Deaths-Phoenix and the greater Hispanic community as we begin our city-wide fundraiser to collect thousands of gallons of water for the desert!

The Aguaton will be held the last Saturday of every month, with drop-off locations throughout the valley.
* We really need volunteers to help us unload waters on Saturday afternoon (5:00pm) at Manny’s Used Car Dealership: 12th St. and Van Buren.
* We also need volunteers with trucks to pick up waters from various locations.
Please call me at 602-818-5447 if you can help!

Saturday, May 30
10:00am – 5:00pm

Please drop off waters AND SOCKS at the following locations:

Arte y Creation beauty salon- 3202 E Greenway #1295, Phoenix

Las Milpas- 8210 W. Indian School, Phoenix

EL Rancho Market- 1076 N. Arizona Ave, Chandler

Los Tres Amigos- 253 E. Broadway, Mesa

Food City – 32nd St. and Greenway, Phoenix

Food City – 845 W. Southern, Phoenix

–
Laura Ilardo
No More Deaths-Phoenix
(602)818-5447
www.my.calendars.net/nomor

Catch y’all on the flip!

As hard as it was I felt useful out there.  Probably for the first time in my life I had a sense of purpose.  I woke up every morning ready to go.  Motivated, and I don’t do mornings.  I’ve been working on a plan to get back there.  I am definitely going back next summer but hopefully I can work out something more permanent in the future.  For now we are going to gather migrant supplies and ship them out to Tucson over the winter and keep our fingers crossed that we won’t be needed next year at all because people no longer have to cross the desert.  Now that’s a pretty thought, isn’t it?

I should be casting on for my socks later this week.  I decided to do the red ribbing/heel/toe because they are so lumberjacky, which amuses me.

On our ride we encountered this piece of lovely

That would be the grown version of The Baby Jesus rising out of the earth – like Carrie reaching her hand out of her grave at the end of the movie.  It reminds me of those huge Orcas outside of those reservation casinos in Washington.  I want to know how they got their parishioners to go for that thing?  Seriously.

First, there was Saginaw where we visited Grandma. She’s doing well but doing all that death talk that old people do when they are getting ready to go. She’s old. She’s tired. She’s buried most of her people. I don’t blame her. Still, it was nice to see her. We are planning a road trip up there in the next little bit to gather her up and bring her back down. She’s not up to air travel for personal reasons but she’ll allow us to chauffeur her.

After Saginaw we shuffled over to Windsor and caught the train to Toronto.

The Girl on the Train

I hadn’t been there since 1978, but damn, has it grown. We hit the CN Tower because, well, it’s there and it’s really tall and the last time I was there it wasn’t completed and that open air observation deck was frightening. That deck is still frightening now, completed so nothing has changed. They added the glass floor which is just ridiculously cruel. I wouldn’t go near it and could not watch when The Girl went near it. We also hit the science center but otherwise we walked the neighborhoods.

Moms and The Girl

That was taken on our last day over in Little Italy. Y’all, it was so cold but after a couple of jugs o’ wine, we warmed up. Aren’t they pretty? Moms and The Girl are tight.

We did also make it over to Duke’s temporary location. They are up and running and doing all they can to keep things going while they rebuild. They are getting tons of community and city support which should make things go more smoothly. I do have one tool report, though but I really shouldn’t be surprised. You know those guys that ride in kits? Even in the city? You know, full on Tour de France gear? Those guys. Now, I don’t generally have a problem with anyone on a bike. I figure more power to you and the more the merrier, share the road, do your thang, but those kit guys are squicky. They are squicky everywhere as evidenced by the guy I encountered on the way to Duke’s. I made the mistake of calling him “Sir”. Seriously. Right in the middle of him telling me Duke’s is no more, he is obviously out of the loop, he said “and I am not a sir!” with such a whine. Dude, get over yourself. Next time I ask a question of a kit man I am just going to walk up and say “excuse me? Asshole?” and be done with it. I am from the South. Sir and Ma’am are terms we use. Especially if we don’t know your name and we are interrupting or need something. Besides that fucko was at least ten years younger than me and should respect his elders or he’ll get his ass kicked. ha!

Got home from Toronto on Saturday evening, did laundry, worked on my Camp homework and then headed out for the airport Monday morning at 6am for Sock Camp. Yow. Early. All went well. My connection was made and I arrived in Seattle where Casey – her blog is well hidden so no linkage – picked me up and carried me with her to Orcas. On the ferry we picked up Celia. What a lucky, lucky encounter. Both women are awesome and we all just sort of clicked immediately. Turns out we were all staying in the same building with Celia right across the hall from me and Casey just two doors down.

Bow to the awesome

I can’t say enough how lucky I was to meet these two. I laughed so hard and had so much fun with them but they also saved my sanity at times. Especially towards the end. Camp was interesting. I don’t think I have ever been with so many women so exclusively for such a long period of time. Stephen/hizKNITS was there too, but one man is not enough to counter all that estrogen. Really, if y’all want to see camp stuff you should check his blog. He’s got the goods. Or check The Harlot’s blog out. She’s got info, too. Most everyone at camp was great but there were some strange dynamics going on. Of course, the people that went last year were tight. They have history so it’s understandable but at times it was like being an interloper. Also, too, I haven’t ever done any sort of knitting thing. I don’t knit with people at home and have never been to any sort of even where vendors are involved or anything like that so I wasn’t aware of how fast the yarn that was for sale would be gobbled up. No idea. It was astonishing really. I bought 3 hanks, one pattern and one monkey kit and I was lucky to get them. Now I know that next time I gotta get in there with my elbows and get what I want or it won’t be there. Overall it was the personalities involved that were the most entertaining. I would have been happy to stay in a corner and just watch. Mostly though it was a good time and I am glad I did it but I am glad to be home too. Finally home that is. It started snowing on the last day of camp but I was assured that when I got to Seattle there would be no evidence of the snow and I wouldn’t have a problem getting out. LIARS! First the flight coming in from Dallas was late and then the weather intruded. After deicing we took off two hours late and I, of course, missed my connection to Atlanta and had to stay over in Dallas. I got home about 11am Sunday. I was tired and dirty but glad to be home. Now I’ma stay home for a bit and get some shit done. My yard is calling.

All that is why the next is so painful. I’ve decided I need a new ugly cardigan. A new ugly cardigan that is more presentable and not acrylic. I can have an unbridled love affair with my ugly store bought acrylic cardigan but I cannot knit with acrylic and I find that I can’t knit ugly. I’ve been looking at the Central Park Hoodie but it isn’t quite right and everybody and her brother has knit that thing. I am also looking at Ribbed Diamonds. That is reminiscent of my beloved but I am not yet committed. I would have to knit it at a smaller gauge maybe since I am not a man – contrary to the rumor about my balls – and I am not a big woman. I am a 10 on top, broad shoulders, and a 6 on the bottom, although, if I don’t get back into the gym STAT my bottom will be expanding. Although, I am attracted to a big boxy cardigan that I can throw on and go. I’ve got to decide because I need a big project and I would like to take it with me to Sock Camp. That is if I can ever work out my travel arrangements. It’s turning into planes, trains and automobiles. Plus, the cost of the flight is about to give me cardiac arrest. In order to get there in less than 12 hours I need a direct flight which is running 500+. Do you know where I can go for 500 bucks? Most of the world is open if you’ve got 500 bucks to spend on a flight. So I wait. And watch. And hope for a better price on the flight I need and try to resign myself to having to fork over my hard earned cheese.