Our weekend in Scottsdale was centered around reuniting with old friends from the 80’s when we first moved to the Phoenix area after graduating college. Nothing says love from an old friend like James Gardner than a middle finger from his water glass during our lunch at David’s in Scottsdale. James started work at Arizona Public Service in March 1982, about a month after I started there.
And the Queen and purpose for our gathering was to celebrate Mary Field’s retirement from APS. We had so much fun running around as a group of young professionals without any cares. Then we had to grow up. But we haven’t really changed that much so many years later.
And Mary gets the honor of being memorialized on a cookie and eaten by everyone at the party, wonderfully hosted by Debi and Dan Sarceda.
Two more from our club of crazies, Tina and Art, both enjoying life after retirement from APS.
James and Angela on the edge of the gathering at Debi’s and Dan’s.
Saturday we went for a bike ride along the Hayden Greenway south down to Tempe. This used to be the routinely dry Salt River bed which is now called Tempe Town Lake. Just on the other side is Tempe, home of Arizona State University.
Another view of Tempe as we cross over to visit the town and grab some nachos and beer. It’s amazing how much has changed since Angela graduated with her BSEE in 1988. Only the old, white flour mill to the right of the picture looks familiar.
Saturday afternoon we had another excuse to get together with some more friends at the Salty Senorita.
Jack, another APS alum, is showing off his skill (and aging eyesight) by using his cell phone light to read the menu at a Sushi restaurant.
Sunday morning after a group breakfast Scott Gudeman took us on a hiking tour on a small part of the beautiful McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
Even though it’s not spring we saw lots of flowering plants. The desert was amazingly green.
Long views near the top of our 4.6 mile hike looking south towards Scottsdale and distant Phoenix.
Scott, Angela and James on a brief break.
We’d forgotten about the beauty of the Sonoran desert and such a contrast to the more barren and red deserts near Moab and Monument Valley we’d driven through just days ago.
Me and my sweety.
And since I’m reminiscing, here’s another snapshot of me and my sweety circa 1983 at Brad and Linda Hibbard’s wedding in Phoenix. My, my, my, so much time has passed and yet it seems sometimes barely a blink of an eye.
James, Scott and I joined APS within a month of each other back in February of 1982. We had the benefit of being hired with a bunch of other engineers, mostly transplants from the Midwest or Eastern US, that led to lots of social activities and bonds of friendship over 35 years later.
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