Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Phoenix 2014 - Choices, Choices

We moved in a full circle from the testosterone filled atmosphere of the gym to the estrogen heavy enviorment of my host's local fabric store. On of my hosts has, for some years now, produced camp style shirts for himself, his partner and his family and friends. It was mentioned that despite our long friendship I still did not own one of these now almost trademark garments. Our stop at the fabric store was to remedy this situation. There I was confronted with an almost dizzying array of choices. Tropical prints, prints with iconic images of the Southwest, Asian inspired prints and batiks rested side by side, row after row, some areas coordinated by color, many not. At one point we encountered a bolt sporting a print of muscular, bare chested cowboys. Some were pictured standing, thumbs hooked in their belts, legs spread wide. Others sat smiling, sitting astride their steads. A similar print nearby featured equally alluring, homo erotic images of firemen standing in provocative bare chested poses beside firetrucks. While I had to admit that the prints appealed to me, I for instance imagined what handsome throw pillows they might make, I did wonder how deep a market there really was for them.

I came away with a colorful print of faux tarot cards each of which bears an inscription in Spanish on a black and white background. While there my host discovered a whimsical print featuring line after line of colorful Dachshunds. Knowing of a friend who loves wiener dogs he took a picture with his phone and sent it to him. He received an immediate enthusiastic response. Our choices were measured, checked out, and, after a short search for his car, with rare exception all cars in Phoenix seem to be the same color, we headed home.

Along the way a tall man came toward us out for his daily jog. The sweat from his exertions accentuated the lines of his well defined bare torso. He looked as if his could have been the inspiration for the cowboy and firemen prints we had just seen. Sometimes, I thought, it's not so bad to be stuck at a red light.

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