Resurrection Weekend

Drove to Phoenix and back this Easter weekend with the family, dog included. The trip hasn't become any less tedious over the years, but the scenery was nicer than usual this time because of all the rain. The desert along Highway 8 and between Gila Bend and the I-10 is the most verdant i've ever seen it. It looks like the prairies in some places because of all the grass. I've heard this is what it was like back in the early 19th century before the influx of cattle. We picked up some alt rock station on our way into Phoenix on the 10 that was having a "resurrection weekend", where they play hits from the 80s or whatever. We're not sure if they understood the humor in this or not.

Dang, there were a bunch of people on the road and in the fast-food joints and the rest stops. Lots of them were spring breakers, or various other yay-hoos heading to/from Glamis or the dunes near Yuma. Just the sort of thing to trigger my misanthropic tendencies. Jesus, people are stupid. For example, you can legally drive 75 mph on the highway in Arizona and you'll still see some a%#hole riding another guy's bumper like he's got somewhere important to be. The high point is always Gila Bend for me. I just dig that place. Oddly, the more run-down the town becomes the nicer the Space Age Lodge becomes. Hard to believe i used to go there for lunch 35 years ago.

Phoenix was nice, isn't too hot yet. I got in a 10-mile run out through North Mountain park, and it was beautiful. Emily and i finally went to see Million Dollar Baby at the Esplanade. I enjoyed it although the boxing scenes weren't that good. Hillary Swank was good though, both as an actress and as a convincing boxer. I really like Ms. Swank. She's attractive in an interesting way, and i think she did an amazing job in a role that would've been easy to get wrong. A little too much attitude, a little too much twang and it would've been easy to create a complete caricature (unfortunately, most of the actors playing her family did just that).

Finished reading James Hynes' Kings of Infinite Space during the trip. It's a fun read, especially if you're in the right frame of mind. It's been described as a cross between Office Space and The Island of Dr. Moreau, but that doesn't really do it justice.