Since I was able to post this video, you can assume that I made it home safely.  I ended up kicking it in the parking lot for about 45 minutes or so before getting back on the road.

It is hot.

This is my first summer here in Arizona, and I’m just getting used to the heat. Today’s high is going to be 110.

I’ve always heard Arizonans talking about the “dry heat” and how it’s much more bearable than a humid heat.  And until this month I’ve never truly understood that.

I was swimming at the YMCA last weekend and I made the mistake of leaving my black flip-flops exposed to the intense sun while doing laps.  I jumped out of the pool and sat down and gathered my things, and realized that my shoes were too hot to wear…so I thought I’ll just run barefoot to the locker room.  MISTAKE.  My feet were sore for a couple of hours.

I’ve also realized that the tap water here comes out warm.

I break a sweat on the walk to my car before work.

It’s summer vacation, and I don’t see a single child playing in the neighborhood around my house.

But things are different here than they were in California.  The people have adapted their lives to the heat.  I am only really exposed to the heat on the journey to and from the car to an air conditioned building.

Still, I miss the thought of a sweater on a cool summer evening in Southern California.

It.  Is.  Hot.  And getting hotter.

Can someone remind me why I decided to pack up and leave Southern California?!?  It is only May, and it hit three digits today.  Meanwhile in Garden Grove it is a nice 86.

I’ve always heard Arizonans says things like, “well at least our heat is a dry heat,” or “since the humidity is low, it isn’t too bad.”  Which I can now understand.  If it was over 100 in So. Cal, we’d be dying…but it isn’t too tough to handle here.

Bring on summer.

I’m so official now.

I am no longer reachable at 714.  Now you’ve got to dial area code 602 to find me.  I’ve only been here 6 months.  Took long enough, huh?

I was reading a local rag called The Chandler Times, and came across this gem that was sent in by a reader (emphasis is mine):

…I ended up working four jobs, got in a bad car accident where the kids ended up in the hospital and so did I. I didn’t care if [my ex-husband] didn’t come see me. He wouldn’t even come see his kids. I barely got on welfare just because my youngest one looked like she was Mexican. That’s how I qualified, because I’m White.

Seriously? You got welfare because of how your daughter looked? And White people are excluded from government assistance, really?

Read the entire letter here. It’s the 5th entry on that page.  Remind me again why I moved here?!?

Arizonans call the Department of Motor Vehicles the “Motor Vehicles Department.”  Totally fucks with that place in my brain where acronyms are stored.  For the past 20 years I’ve been calling the place where you get licensed and car registrations the DMV…and suddenly I have to start calling it the MVD?!?!

Well I went there yesterday, and registered my car and got an Arizona Driver License.  You can see my California and my Arizona license off to the left there.  I’ve lost a few pounds, huh?  The California picture was taken in summer 2006–so not too long ago.

One thing that I really liked about the Arizona DMV…er MVD was that they give you everything right then and there.  I paid to register my car, and the woman reached under her desk and gave me a new license plate.  I took a photo for my new license, and the woman said, “give me 2 minutes to print it out.”  In California you have to wait for everything to be mailed to you.  They give you temporary everything…”Give it 6 weeks to arrive in the mail.”

So I think that my new plates and my new license make me an Arizonan.  Officially.

What do you think?

I am in love with Quick Trip convenience stores/gas stations. Since moving to Arizona from California I have just recently discovered this place because we don’t have them in Cali.

If I had to explain QT to someone that had the misfortune of not knowing what it was, I would probably say: “QT is like a 7-11 where the employees actually care about customer service.”

It’s pretty common to walk into a gas station/convenience store that is dirty and smelly…but not a QT. And how often are you greeted with a “Hello!” when you walk into an AM/PM? Well it happens about 85% of the time at QT.

And I have strong feelings about cup quality and straw width.  I will intentionally avoid places that don’t meet my standards.  I need a nice, sturdy cup.  And I must have a wide straw.  Circle K gives you skinny straws…if I wanted to drink out of a coffee stirrer, I would.  QT’s cups are super-sturdy (can even be re-used once or twice at home), and their straw width is perfect.

And here’s the kicker: you can choose between cubed and crushed ice.  So wonderful.

I’ve mentioned it here before, but life in Queen Creek is so different than life was in Orange County. And don’t misinterpret–I’m not hating it.

It’s just different. One big difference is that you feel significantly less obligated to run little errands. Yes, I need to go get stamps and mail out that letter to Julie, but it can wait until the next time I am in town.

When I drive toward civilization I pass two things that really give me the hebegeebees:

1. A dairy farm
2. The tractor crossing sign (above)

Slowly I’ll get used to living here. I don’t plan on staying too long, anyway.

The Arizona sky is so much prettier than anything I saw in Orange County. Occasionally in So. California we would have a pretty sunset, but here in Arizona it seems that all of them are something to look at.

My parents (and me for now) live about 50 miles from civilization, and the number of stars that are visible here is astonishing.

On Tuesday I went on a walk with my Mom after dinner (brrrrrrrrr) and the moon was huge and yellow and freaking beautiful. I just had to share.

I had a lot of fun at the Cardinals v.s. Falcons football game yesterday. Thank you to Daniel for inviting me.

After the football game we kicked it at his place and watched Home Alone. Total kick-ass movie that brought me right back to 1990.

I took a shower washing every body part with actual soap; including all my major crevices; including in between my toes and in my belly button which I never did before but sort of enjoyed. I washed my hair with adult formula shampoo and used cream rinse for that just-washed shine. I can’t seem to find my toothbrush, so I’ll pick one up when I go out today. Other than that, I’m in good shape.