Had a good day with my ol' father. It started with a tiny flashback to Grandma and Grandpa's house in Loreburn, a place I miss dearly. See, he made waffles and we pretty much only ever had waffles at Grandma and Grandpa's when I was a kid. I kind of love that, that something so common can hold a genuinely special and meaningful memory. Because it started with waffles but Grandpa and Grandma's was also the place we were most constantly awash in extended family, it was the only time we went to the beach, the only time we went fishing, the only time I remember my Grandpa being vital and mobile. After being around him as a child I would never have expected to see someone's body betray them so badly, as it did in his later years. I'll always be afraid of aging because of that. I miss him and I hate myself for ever taking him for granted.
We went for a great round of golf later in the morning and it turned out to be pretty much the most beautiful day ever in all of time. I only played well on maybe a third of the holes, but the actual performance is inconsequential when it comes to golf. For me, anyway.
We had lunch and some mid-day beer at the house and then took a short drive into the country to get some supplies for dinner. The first stop was a family-run pork farm/shop. They raise and butcher their own animals, offering pretty much anything a pig has ever been turned into in their little storefront. We got some pepper bacon and some chops for tomorrow's breakfast and dinner respectively. We also stopped at a very cool olive farm and mill, which is apparently a pretty big deal. They make all sorts of different olive oils, some infused with citrus and garlic and hot peppers and whatnot. I recognize the label; I think they have distribution into Canada, which is pretty cool for an independent farm/company that does everything locally. They also have a variety of crafty things made out of olive wood, fresh-baked artisan breads, a diner with a full menu, and a viewing window where you can see the olives being pressed. You could probably spend a fairly interesting afternoon there taking it all in. We also stopped at San Tan Flats for a beer before heading home. I think they want to come back for dinner before we leave, but it was interesting even just to see. The restaurant side isn't that large, but the bar side is huge and open-air; most of it is outdoors, centered around a dance floor placed directly under the night sky. The only problem was when they opened it was technically illegal to dance outdoors in Arizona. I know that sounds like something you would read in a bullshit email forward, but it's quite true. They got cited and fought it, eventually going to court. The case was thrown out and the law was repealed, I believe. Either way, dancing is now both allowed and encouraged.
I liked our little commerce trip. It seemed kind of like the antithesis of what my cynical Canadian self has come to expect from America, the land where convenience and size are the greatest concerns, where chains and brands rule with an iron fist. To see these family-run businesses doing industrious, multi-faceted work on their own, without name or brand recognition behind them, is always encouraging but somehow more so in this environment. It speaks to what used to be the overriding virtue in the States, back when hard work and desire made anything possible.
Anyway, it was kind of cool to hear my Costo-shopping dad talk about how he feels it's important to go a little bit out of your way once in a while to support the little guy who's doing something unique and wonderful. I don't really remember that being a priority for him at any other point in my life.
I am very sleepy right now, even though I feel like I've been sleeping better than I have in months. I actually nodded off in the car this afternoon while in the midst of a conversation with dad. Travelling through the countryside and seeing all the agricultural work in the region led to some other good chats, the importance of agriculture versus civic development being chief amongst them. Maybe I'll outline that a bit more later.
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