Food & Fun in Arizona
By Dana Williams (77)
Melinda De La Fuente ’77 and I had a couple of classes together at Wagner but didn’t keep in touch afterward. So I was really looking forward to reconnecting with her at the reunion. We got to spent quite a bit of time together (the wine tasting was especially fun) and promised to keep in touch this time. Melinda is in Corpus Christi, TX and works for the ARMY as a Quality Assurance Specialist and is responsible for maintenance on the Apache, Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters used in the war. Even though Melinda is extremely busy with her job, we now email regularly and occasionally catch up by phone. And somehow she even managed a few days of vacation to come out to Arizona for a visit.
She flew out here on a Thursday and after dropping off her bags and introducing her to my husband, Todd, and our three four-legged kids, we went to one of my favorite restaurants in Cave Creek for lunch and then wandered around several of the shops in Carefree. That night Todd grilled some Alaskan Salmon and we introduced her to Mojitos, a delightful Cuban rum and mint drink.
Next morning we were up bright and early and on the road to Sedona, a beautiful town in the mountains about 2 hours north of here. And yes, we do have mountains and “green” in Arizona. We had a lovely lunch over looking Oak Creek and did some shopping. When we got home, Todd grilled some steaks and we sat in the Jacuzzi. Life is hard.
Saturday we went to Scottsdale for more shopping and lunch. I don’t know how Melinda stays so thin. I think I gained 5lbs while she was here. I cooked chicken with fresh herbs from my garden that night and the next morning made Eggs Benedict. Then I told her I was taking her down to see our version of the San Antonio River Walk and to bring her camera. Scottsdale’s version is a dirty old concrete canal that now has upscale shops, restaurants and million-dollar condos overlooking it all. But it is still just a concrete canal and not a very wide one at that. She thought I was joking until she saw it. She took several pictures to show back home knowing they would get a big kick out of our “Riverwalk”. For our last night we went out for Sushi and Kobe Pear Martinis. Melinda is not a big “drinker” but we may have converted her with the martinis!
We had so much fun chatting over food, cocktails and pictures, trying to fill each other in on the years apart. Melinda brought her yearbooks out and we talked and reminisced about the Philippines and people we knew. Amazing how one school can pull so many people together. Time flew by too fast. Monday came too early and Melinda had to go home and back to work. Melinda was so sweet and sent me a package full of brochures of things to do in Corpus Christi. As if I needed an excuse. After all, she lives close to the beach!
Top: Melinda & Dana - The view from the church in Sedona, Middle: Toasting to good friends with Kobe Pear Martinis, Bottom: Lunch at Tonto Verde
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANA!!! You are definitely one of those women who look great no matter the age! Cheers!
Posted by: Nina Pierce Baker | June 28, 2007 at 12:57 PM
Dana - I enjoyed your posting, and I agree with you that Wagner is amazing - in how it can pull so many people together. In fact, I think it's quite unique that so many of us so enjoyed each others' company - so much so that we want to keep on meeting, after all these years! It's great.
Sounds like you & Melinda has a really enjoyable time!
Posted by: Elin Pierce | June 27, 2007 at 09:25 PM
Those interventions really do work! Now, just don't take away my glass of wine......
Posted by: Nina Pierce Baker | June 25, 2007 at 01:17 PM
Nina, I'm glad you finally got off the drugs. An addiction like that can tear a family apart.
Posted by: Ed Welch | June 22, 2007 at 01:34 PM
Hey Myrna - I had the same experience with rum & coke in college. Funny, now my aversion is to Coke! Dana, I'll join Lisa on that visit!
Posted by: Nina Pierce Baker | June 22, 2007 at 05:43 AM
Lisa, I would love to have you come out for a visit! Any one who is in the area is more than welcome. Chrys Atwater-Byers is due here today for a couple days and we are getting together with Sue Corey (I just found out from Chrys that Sue lives nearby). And Myrna, if you come out for a visit - I promise, no rum.
Posted by: Dana Williams | June 21, 2007 at 02:14 PM
Wow, Dana~you are truly the "hostess w/ the mostest"! I'm comin' out to visit YOU some day! That's great you & Melinda had fun together. She's also a wonderful person! =)
Posted by: Lisa Ramos Wilcox | June 21, 2007 at 01:50 PM
So that's what Mojitos are! Rum & mint! Now that I know it has rum - I will know to never try it. I have very bad memories of rum. I wonder if Mike Smith, Karen Trevino Johnson, Larry Jones, Brad Muhr, David Wilson, Teresa Teator Jansson, and Liz Wilson Anderson remember my nasty evening with rum and cokes. I can't go near the stuff to this day.
Posted by: Myrna Nickelsen | June 21, 2007 at 10:58 AM