Dishing With Friends

Today, Q and I drove out to Apache Junction to meet up and go Fiesta hunting with fellow dish buddies Rebecca, Mike, Wendy, Rick, and Denise. I had met Wendy, Mike, and Rick before, but I had only known Becca and Denise from the Medium Green message board, and from phone conversations (Denise).
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We started the day at the Patterns of the Past antique mall. Q and I were the first to arrive so we waited in the car. But it wasn't long before Rebecca and Denise made their entrance by nearly t-boning the Mustang with a Chevy Malibu.
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Once inside, Denise spotted a ginormous bin of loose silverware. She set out to look for a certain pattern whose name I can't remember. Wendy scored a vintage Fiesta ivory ice lip pitcher for $20-something. Also, Becca accidentally broke--and had to buy--"an ugly, overpriced vase".
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Then, it was off to lunch at Dirtwater Springs. This is an old cowboy-type joint with wood plank floors and taxidermy decor. This place had some of the best salsa I'd had in a long time. Also, nobody spit in Denise's food when she sent it back to the kitchen. This was a source of some concern. The beef in her French dip sandwich was mostly fat, she thought the cook would retaliate when she ordered a different meal.

We also celebrated an impromptu belated birthday party for a fellow disher (Sally), who's family apparently forgot. Rick brought a red velvet cake, and Becca and Denise held up Bics as candles. I "borrowed" this picture from Rick because his turned out better than mine.

Outside Dirtwater Springs: Wendy, Denise, Val, and Rebecca. Becca gifted us ladies with these nifty disk pitcher pins. Hers was pink, Denise's got turquoise, I wore yellow, and Wendy got ivory. Walking through the antique malls we looked like some sort of madcap dishing gang.

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After lunch, it was off to the Superstition Grand Antique Mall. This is where I SCORED. I just about fainted when Rick found an Antique Gold Ironstone sauce boat. Then he showed me the price ($12.50) and I almost fainted AGAIN! THEN he informed me that it's 20% off, and I began to hyperventilate. Rick had to hold me up, and Q held on to the sauce boat because I didn't want to pull a Becca.

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Also at the Grand, Wendy and Rick both passed on a white Fiesta tripod candleholder. At only $4, I snatched it up.

After the dishing was done, we got some passerby to take a group photo. I "borrowed" this photo from Wendy since I didn't get one on my camera. We didn't want to bombard the dude with FIVE cameras. (l-r: Becca, Mike, Wendy, Rick, Denise, Val, and Quinton).

My haul for the day. The Harlequin salt and pepper shakers were a gift from Denise, and the cobalt ornament blank, along with a yellow Fiesta pin were from Becca.

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In all, it was a great day. Great dishes, great food, and best of all, GREAT FRIENDS. Tomorrow, Denise and Becca will be traveling back to New Mexico and Washington, respectively. Be safe, you two!