That energy level I mentioned in the previous post has very suddenly kicked into a higher quantum state. (Apologies to real physicists who are wincing at that statement.) Airstreams are pouring into Tucson from all over, and it’s impossible for me to remain calm about it.
Lately I can’t drive in the southwest corner of Tucson without seeing one on the road. Normally Airstream spotting is a rare event, but this week it’s a regular thing. Today I made my daily trip to the Alumafiesta site and found silver dots all over the 400-site campground. Right now they are a minority but by the end of the day Monday a giant aluminum formation will take shape: Airstreams lined up in rows, signalling by their shiny presence that something interesting is about to happen.
My main mission today was to drop off the ’68 Caravel for Brett to use. While I was trying to set it up in the site, two non-Airstream owners came by separately to talk about vintage trailers, and one Airstream owner as well. This was fun but it made setup take about an hour. That Caravel sticks out in a crowd. There is no flying under the radar in a vintage Airstream.
In just a couple of hours I ran into Koos and Stefan (who flew in from The Netherlands to attend Alumafiesta), Rob, Chris, Stevyn & Troy, Numeriano, and a few other people who waved from a distance. I’d say there are about 15 Airstreams in the park right now, and that’s just the beginning. That’s in addition to the several Airstreams that are boondocked in BLM land off Rt 86, near Saguaro National Park West.
Tomorrow I will go over to drop off the Safari in site 1415. The guy occupying my space today is in an Airstream but he is not coming to Alumafiesta. He came last year, and so tomorrow he’s heading to Sarasota to attend Alumaflamingo! Lucky guy—he’s got two weeks to make the trip, so he gets to spend six days chilling in Destin FL on the way. We have only one week to go the same 2,000 miles, so we have to zip along I-10 in a sort of Airstream Cannonball Run with no fun stops. (Alex & Charon are making the trip with us, and Alex is already calling it “Aluma-zooma”.)
Yesterday I had lunch with Chris and Leslie. They are attending Alumafiesta in a brand-new 30-foot Airstream bunkhouse. Leslie writes for Airstream Life, and Chris is the developer of our new—TA- DA!— iPad app. Yes, Airstream Life is finally available in digital format on iPad. Almost every issue published (minus two) is available, which is pretty remarkable considering most have been out of print for years. If you’ve got an iPad you can check it out (free) by clicking here. We’ve got a special limited time offer on eight of the back issues for $0.99 each, and if you are a subscriber you get four issues for free!
I had a small surprise this week after sending out a notice to attendees that we would be doing an informal “beginner class” on ukulele. I figured that maybe two or three people would be interested. Suddenly about 15 people came out of the bushes waving ukuleles, and about a third of them had never actually played one. So I’ll be leading a group at 1:00 on Tuesday, and if it goes well we will probably have a few sessions during the week. I’m excited about that. Maybe we’ll get a few songs up to performance quality and play for the attendees at one of the Happy Hours.
Tonight we are having a pre-event “kick back” dinner at home, before the heavy action begins tomorrow. This is our last chance to have a meal as a family at home, so Eleanor has made some nice mushroom risotto and a cake, and I’ll be grilling steaks. Tonight we feast, for tomorrow we enter the fray … It should be a great week.
Insightout says
Man in the Maze writes:
If it goes well we will probably have a few ukelele sessions during the week….I’m excited about that. Maybe we’ll get a few songs up to performance quality and play for the attendees at one of the Happy Hours….
***************
Oh no, tell us this isn’t true. Even native Hawaiians have to suppress the vomiting reflex whenever an anglo starts picking a ukelele. They would rather you pick your nose with a pineapple frond.
If you absolutely must, please provide the audience with complimentary kleenex®, Q-Tips®, airline sickness bags, and, during the “does anybody have a request?” portion, please do the nauseous rendition from the acclaimed low-budget, grade-D movie, “The Jerk”⬇
where the starring characters
⬇
Steve Martin and his co-star, Bernadette Peters, work very sweetly together, even when they sing the ukelele duet of ‘Tonight You Belong to Me,’ carrying sweetness to what easily became a milestone in cinematic, intolerable extreme.
Aloha. Happy Hour destroyers.
Bill D. says
Well, at least Insightout (Dr. C.) has been consistent in his view of the “ukelele frenzy” as seen in his comment to my blog posting 6 years ago:
“Stop this ukelele frenzy at once. My word, aren’t those absurd, Visine induced Hawaiian shirts enough to shock innocent mainlanders from the lei induced coma.
Why would the FDA ever approved alprazolam and prozac, if not for pineapple and King Kamehameha ?
Please, before it is too late. Dr. C.” (2-10-08)
His recent comment may finally induce me to dust off my ukulele and get on the road again!
Happy Alumafiesta and Happy Strumming!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0b_ysBS9vU