"You Gotta Be..........................."

Donna knows a lot of people. She worked at the hospital here in town for a number of years, and has been with Wally-World pretty much since they opened. Odds are, you have NEVER been in that store without seeing that little redhead up front who is always on the move.

It's not unusual for us to go to Boise on one of her days off, and run into someone she knows........or Twin Falls or up in the mountains somewhere.

I know a lot of folks myself.........or rather......a lot of folks know ME. As a musician, I've been out on a lot of stages over the years and folks will come up, shake your hand, call you by name and remind you that they listened to you out at Scrubby's one night 20 years ago..........you feel a bit embarassed that you don't remember THEIR name. Anyway, you meet a lot of people. (Lamont can identify with that one).

But Donna is very customer-oriented......knows people, AND their kids....AND their grandkids..........And their dogs........etc

A couple of years ago, we decided to take a couple of weeks and drive to Arizona to visit our youngest daughter and her family. Although we certainly aren't hurting for transportation, I elected to RENT a car for the trip, to keep wear & tear off of OURS.......and because none of our classic cars have A/C.............a MUST in Phoenix in the month of May!

We took the route I almost ALWAYS take between here & Phoenix, going AROUND Las Vegas instead of THROUGH it. That route takes us through Monument Valley, and if you've never been through there, you owe yourself the trip.

We rented an '09 Chevy Malibu, which----while it ran good and was good on gas--------it was the most UN-comfortable car I've ever driven on a long trip. If I ever rent another car, it won't be a Malibu. My 73 Super Beetle rides BETTER. Fact.

But anyway, we were out of HERE for awhile and I'd have my wife to MYSELF for once. You see, after awhile, it gets old, having dinner somewhere or trying to make it through a store because we're "running behind" in the day, and someone always invariably calls out "HI Donna----I haven't seen you in a long time!".......then out comes the photos of the grandkids, or they get to talking about what shoes are on sale across town somewhere............and I often ask her (jokingly)......."Do you know EVERYBODY around here?"

Well, cruising though Utah and on through Monument Valley, it was highly unlikely she would know anybody on the Navajo Indian Reservation. She loves to stop at the little roadside jewelry stands when we're out there, so we always stop wherever she wants.. It's always a peaceful time.

We get into Phoenix, then out to Litchfield (our daughter and her husband are stationed at Luke AFB).

About the 3rd day down there, Donna wanted to visit the famous old western town of Tombstone. (Having LIVED in Arizona for 8 years, I could pretty much show her anything she wanted to see). By THIS time, our OLDEST daughter had flown down there as well, and SHE rode WITH us to Tombstone.

I'm cruising along I-10, down through Marana and Tucson, the girls are talking and looking at the great fields of cactus as we go.......we turn off the highway and take the secondary road 24 miles into NOWHERE until we get to Tombstone. (I'd been there before, but never tire of seeing it)-----there is so much history to see at the old Birdcage Theater, the O.K. Corral, and there are STILL spent bullets in some of the buildings and awning posts from the gunfights.

Boot Hill is always an attraction. Donna & Pam spent a couple of hours out there, looking at the various graves, while I was shooting still photos and running that "Not-much-of-a-camcorder."

It was starting to get warm when we left the Boot Hill Cemetary, so we headed back into town where the girls could shop around and browse some more.

When it was time for lunch, we walked up one of the old boardwalks, then DOWN through a deserted looking old alley. Following the little advertisement signs, we walked along until we found this little "hole-in-the-wall" type of cafe-----WELL off the beaten path........went in, sat down and waited for the waitress.

She came up, and as she was taking our orders, this young dude walks by the table and excitedly says "HEY DONNA, what are YOU doing here??"

I just sat back in my chair and thought...."YOU GOTTA BE...(fill in the blank).....ME!!" All the way to TOMBSTONE ARIZONA.......then DOWN SOME BACK ALLEY into NOWHERE..........

Donna knows EVERYBODY!

This kid, (I forget his name now) had worked overnights or pushed carts or something for the Mountain Home Store, and was now spending his summer and working part-time down there in Arizona.

Over a thousand miles.........24 miles off the interstate, up a wooden boardwalk and down a dirt SIDESTREET.....

"HI DONNA!"

I give up.

A few weeks ago, we were discussing where we wanted to go THIS year when she gets her vacation time. This is gonna require some serious thought........the whole idea of a vacation is to get AWAY from everything and everybody............I ain't sure WHAT to do this year!

I DID come away from Tombstone on a POSITIVE note though......In a custom leather shop, there was a black leather "Paladin" belt & holster rig....complete with the "Knight" chess piece on it.

Those of you out there who are old enough, might remember the television western series, "Have Gun Will Travel" that starred Richard Boone as "Paladin." This is an exact replica of his gunbelt & holster. Didn't come with a GUN of course......but there's one in it NOW, and 25 bullets in the belt!

Anyway, Donna bought it for me as an early Anniversary present. (She DIDN'T know the shopkeeper!)

Hmmmmm..........Rabbit Hash, Kentucky might be nice this year..........Dog Dish, Missouri........or Pole Axe City, up in the Yukon Territory...........

I'll think of SOMETHING!