My best advice if you fall victim to this crud is to consume lots of OJ and warm water. Drinking warm water and breathing steam were the only things I found comforting between bouts of hacking and crouping. The dry, desert air is not conducive to recovery, so flood those damn germs out by warming your drinking water and consuming it in mass quantities. I took airborne and coldeeze and I think most of that stuff just ended up in the Valley sewer system. Since flu shots haven’t been given yet, wonder if it’s worth it to get one? Probably end up with another version of the stupid flu. Good luck.

Before you write me off as a Carrie Nation of Smoke, I used to smoke. I smoked almost two packs of cigarettes nearly every day for 19 years. The last five of those years I woke up each day, determined to quit smoking. Thanks to the generous chemical additions of the tobacco companies, I was addicted and fighting a much more serious battle than I imagined. Through constant attempts and, finally, hypnosis, I quit smoking on January 19, 1987 and have not had a cigarette since.

Quit almost 20 years, but that doesn’t mean I don’t remember the desire, the want, the need for a cigarette. It is an addiction in every sense of the word and you better believe the bar owners and the cigarette companies want to make sure smokers stay addicted and new smokers join the club. They don’t care about tracking sex offenders and they certainly don’t care about school children’s supplies (much less their health) – they just want to sell more alcohol and cigarettes. The taxes to which they refer are taxes on cigarettes – taxes paid by the addicts. If you don’t smoke, it isn’t coming out of your pocket.

Smokers will tell you they don’t want to quit, they enjoy smoking, so get off their backs. But that’s a lie. They are addicted and every one of them, at some level, knows they are smoking because they have to, that it’s no longer a choice for them. There is absolutely nothing good about cigarette smoking except the bottom line on the ledger for the alcohol and tobacco sellers. Please don’t let them spin your vote against Prop 201- it is NOT ridiculous. Vote FOR Prop 201 and AGAINST Prop 206.

Golf course protocol says to lie down on the ground during lightning storms. I certainly understand the logic, but fear the bus driver wouldn’t see me and stop if I chose to wait in full prone on the concrete. Or, if she did see me, might just drive by and call the police to report a drunk passed out at the stop. Then the police would come and find out I wasn’t passed out or drunk, just taking proper storm precautions and they might be angry and arrest me for wasting valuable police time. Then again, they might let me wait for the bus in the cruiser, providing much needed shelter from the storm. Probably not. Fortunately, rush hour storms in Phoenix are infrequent and the lightning-dodging dilemma rarely surfaces.

Who needs these thoughts?

And, not speaking of the heat, I do believe Arizona’s version of fall is almost here. Natural air conditioning through open bus windows kept us delightfully cool this morning. Walking to the MU for my morning cuppa, I saw the grounds maintenance people preparing to plant pots and pots of red and white geraniums in the beds around the Cady Mall fountain. Open windows, cool evenings, annual flowers in bloom – I believe fall in the Valley is talking to us.

This trip created a love/hate relationship with the railroads including much love for Amtrak and much frustration with Union Pacific (train personnel say UP doesn’t mean Union Pacific – instead, it stands for Usually Parked). Our trip ended in Maricopa, AZ – a doublewide trailer and 50 feet of concrete comprise the full extent of the station. Informed sources tell me Phoenix used to host train travelers, but now the nearest place to hear “all aboard” is Maricopa. Sadly, the Valley’s autolovefest keeps freeway building a priority over public/mass transportation. Even LA, with its traffic-clogged highways, makes use of subways and trains. Oh well, no one around here seems to care. Even though Phoenix and UP have done their best to make it difficult, try the train sometime – you might be surprised and like it.

Ugly describes those 24 hours. Considering that coffee is swilled by the gallon, along with so-called energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster (caffeine cloaked in vitamins), no wonder people are horrible drivers. Put my phone call impatience behind the wheel and you have cause for some of the uncivilized, unintelligent driving that occurs on our local roads.

As for me and Starbucks? Next time, orange handles, please and lots of room for milk.