Day 41 - 8/25/2004 - On to Phoenix

After a few days in Flagstaff, it was time to head down to Phoenix.  We washed off the car, washed some clothes, and got some mediocre Indian food (dot vs. feather) before heading out.  

We reached Phoenix in mid afternoon and my friend Craig was waiting in the driveway as we drove up.  It had been almost 15 years since we had seen each other.  We immediately rekindled a friendship that had been dormant for many years.  While much had changed, much was still the same.  It was so much fun to reminisce about "Remember when..." events and try to reconstruct them without embellishing too much.  While some things have changed (I got married and Craig found a wonderful girl), we still found a great number of the same things that made us laugh.

We went out for Sushi, and we all saw just how much raw fish he could eat.  The owner of the restaurant asked him to come back often (probably so he could retire early).  Afterward, we all went to a "Goodfellas" style bar and talked into the night.  At some point it seemed late enough and we hopped into Craig's Lotus Elan for the cruise back to his house to crash.  

One of the things you realize when you rekindle friendships that have been lost for years is how important they were and are.  These are the folks that helped us become who we are; the folks that were a part of the experiences that created our very persona.  It's ironic that the things in life that are so important become supplanted by the immediacy of the mundane.