Arizona - Business Trip #2

August 14-16, 2012

My second launch trip for work took me to Mesa, Arizona.  When I learned of it, I asked Boss Lady for permission to stay on after the business portion of the trip for a little personal time.  My Dad lives in Arizona and it seemed like a great chance to have a long overdue visit to catch up with him.  She was, of course, in favor of it.  As it turned out, the rental car was cheaper for the week anyway, instead of just the three days we were there for the launch.

Having lived in Arizona, I remember what a beautiful state it is and how spectacular the sunsets can be. We were not disappointed. Here is the sunset we enjoyed on the way to our hotel after arriving.

We found a place in Scottsdale that looked interesting for dinner and enjoyed an adult beverage with our meals. I had a phenomenal seared ahi tuna salad.  

After dinner, we retired to our hotel, which was a swanky brand new Marriott in a fresh and developing section of Scottsdale. We got spoiled by the newness during our stay. Just to illustrate how new it was, the hairdryer provided in the room had not even been used yet.

I loved the landscaping around the hotel, it was all newly planted native plants like palo verde trees, barrel and saguaro cacti and native grasses.  

We arrived at the advisor's office a bit early, so we got settled and checked out the view from the conference room we would be occupying for a few days.

Mesa/Phoenix/Scottsdale is really one big area and is largely relatively flat.  That is, with the exception of a few little mountains that seem to just rise out of nowhere.  Rather than move all that earth, the locals just build around them.    

Day One went well and we headed out to dinner before taking the partner (coach) travelling with us to the airport. We found a brewery that sounded good and were not disappointed. Four Peaks Brewery had a great selection and we thoroughly enjoyed our sampler. It was a really cool building. We parked behind it in what felt like sort of an industrial area and as we came around front, there was outdoor seating available on a cute little patio.  

I had a unique and delicious meal here. It was called Carne Adovada. The description on the menu is as follows: Slow roasted pork simmered in red chili sauce served with rice, beans and warm flour tortillas. The recommended beer to go with the meal was called Hop Knot. I couldn't agree more.  Hop Knot was a hoppy, "golden colored IPA with moderate bitterness and a big citrus/floral aroma." Loved it!

After a good debriefing with our meal, we dropped our partner/coach at the airport and headed back to our hotel to work a little before bed.

Day two was a success with the advisor and his team, and Boss Lady and I looked for a healthier alternative to a brewery for dinner. We looked for a Whole Foods so we could select everything we wanted. The first one we found did not have gelato, so we passed and found one that was larger and had a great selection for dessert (it was a real requirement to go with our healthier choices).

By a stroke of luck, the store we found also had a bar in the back. She helped me select a vegetarian assortment of yummies and I grabbed a local brew called Count Hopula to accompany my treats. We giggled all the way to Whole foods since our GPS mispronounced it every time she spoke. Rather than saying it like "hole" foods, she would say "Wa-hole" foods. We were tired and it really struck us as hilarious. Thinking back on it makes me giggle again. Those little memories make these trips even more special. Not only do I get to learn and grow professionally, but I also get the chance to become closer to Boss Lady and learn more about her as a person and friend. These lessons, in turn, build our professional relationship as well.

Day three was a short one, which is normal for our launches. Boss Lady's plane was scheduled to leave around 2, so we left the office about noon to make sure I had time to get her there. I had to snap a quick picture with my phone of the office building before we left. It was the tallest building in Mesa and was beautiful inside and out.

Her flight was delayed (and thankfully we get notifications as soon as this occurs), so we found a Chili's restaurant between the office and the airport and took the opportunity to have one more meal together before parting ways.

After dropping her off, it was time for me to make the drive south to Tucson to begin the personal portion of my trip. I will get into that in my next entry...