Dear everyone else, this moving-in thing is going pretty slow. It turns out I'm not so good at staying on task when I don't have any outside pressure. Pictures to come eventually, but probably not until the whole place no longer has papers, stray bathrobe belts, and random homeless objects strewn across every flat surface. If I owe you a thank-you note/letter/e-mail--I'm, um, working on it. Promise.
So, Phoenix, then?
Positives:
- Sprouts - I'm in love with my local chain "farmer's market." Ninety-nine cents for cherries? Three red peppers for a dollar? OKAY! Chocolate-covered dried cherries in the bulk bins? YES PLEASE! Said chocolate-covered cherries are residing in the back of fridge to keep me from inhaling them all at once. Out of sight, out of mind I hope.
- The mall - I never knew That Guy would go mall-walking with me, but when it's 110 outside and there's a Lego store (look! the Lego Death Star) AND a board game place (including yo-yoing, possibly cave-dwelling proprietor [seriously, the palest Arizonan I've seen so far]) AND a Teavana (cheerful salesgirls who couldn't possibly let you miss any of the six free sample varieties)....
- Fresh Hatch green chile at the grocery store - as I was saying to T.G., I don't think I've ever met a New Mexican, or anyone married to a New Mexican, who didn't love green chile (not out of a can).
- The swimming pool - there's really nothing like having a sun-warmed swimming pool all to yourself under the stars.
- My itsy-bitsy galley kitchen - I wasn't totally sold when I moved in, but there's something to be said to just turning around to get from your stove to your sink.
- Dry heat - yeah, I get it now, but would the former-Midwesterners please stop telling me how they can "never go back"?
- T.G.'s job - Turns out he's great with fifth, seventh, and eighth graders. Who knew? Most of the teachers have adopted "Mr. T.G's Three Laws of Stupidity": 1) Don't do anything stupid, 2) Don't wear anything stupid, 3) Don't be stupid. This covers most classroom situations, with the added bonus that 10-12 year-olds LOVE saying the word "stupid." But don't call any person stupid, okay? That breaks rule #1. He's also turned into the designated human bullhorn (years of voice training finally coming to fruition) and the assistant flag-football coach. Also the short kids' favorite locker-opener; surely someone should have realized that it is futile to assign a four-foot-tall child a top-tier locker.
- Local drivers - Could we just stop with the illegal u-turns please? Also, you can't all have broken turn signals.
- Dry heat - Not being sweaty is nice and all, but it's still 112 degrees, yo.
- The library - Discovered I'm totally spoiled by my previous public library experience. What do you mean I have to fill out paper ILL requests?
- It's still not Minnesota.
- Distractions - Look! A Walmart! A Target! Trader Joe's! I don't have to go to work! Let's play on the internet/needlessly window-shop/write blog posts!
Looks like it's time to get back to what I ought to be doing.
