Regarding our no hot water shower issue: our hosts (who have been truly wonderful) texted us last night and offered up two possible solutions. We could either stay at their alternate BnB property, a two-bedroom home half a mile away, or if we wanted to continue in the art gallery room we could use the alternate property just to get a hot shower in the morning. You wouldn't think that would be any kind of decision, but we decided before we committed to the new place we kind of wanted to check it out. Because there are airplane wings and fuselages in the backyard of the alternate property when you look at it on Google Maps. Just wanted to know what we might be getting ourselves into, based on what we had already gotten ourselves into. So here's how the day started:
Got up before seven am because some sort of construction began on the vacant lot behind our room at 6:30am. And when I say the construction began behind our room, I mean RIGHT behind our room. Like thirty feet behind our wall. Right next to the port-a-potty that people lined up to use throughout the day. Not kidding.
Dave went and got coffee from the non-douchebag barristas down the street, and then we popped on our charming bikes and rode about half a mile to the new property.
Decision made. New digs!
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| old digs--mind you we only had the first door room |
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| new digs! |
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| our backyard: football turf, airplanes and a bus for good measure |
We walked back to the old place, packed up, and Ubered to our new paradise.
I cannot overstate how magnificent my husband has been through all of this. First of all, he packed some Starbucks Via instant coffee packs before we left home because he knew we weren't going to have a stove to heat water, so he was willing to make coffee using hot water out of the tap in the bathroom. While that clearly did not work out as intended (since we ended up with no hot water at all), the fact that he was willing to do that, to me, speaks volumes about his
Additionally, he has not complained at all about our charming, extremely crappy bikes upon which we are completely dependent for transportation. He has been willing to ride in the 100 degree heat on a bike that looks like it was built for Frodo. He's just not a complainer. If there's a problem, he'll try to solve it (on one of our rides he pulled into a tire shop and asked for a crescent wrench and adjusted his seat so that now the bike looks like it was built at least for a slightly taller Frodo). He has kept on smiling through it all.
It was about 105 degrees yesterday so we decided to hit a movie in the afternoon. Went to see "Straight Outta Compton". Amazing movie. Riveting form beginning to end. Lots to talk about. More to think about. Cannot recommend it highly enough to everyone.
Game time! Back on the bikes and down to Chase Field for batting practice. I am not making this up: we arrived at the stadium literally as they were opening the gates. We walk in. We start to watch batting practice. Brandon Belt (referred to by me as "my Brandon") comes to the plate, swings, and hits a ball DIRECTLY into Dave's bare hands--and we were standing in the bleachers! I kid you not! It was incredible. Quite the exciting start to the evening.
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| Dave gave me the ball from my Brandon |
Our seats for this one were in the second deck--they came with wait service! Mind you, these were still very cheap tickets (because we're watching the Diamondbacks--total attendance at the game was 15,000), but it was fun having someone come around every half hour or so and ask if you'd like anything.
The Giants played great, they got a ton of hits AND runs, and they won the game. Funny story that started the game: Joe Panik was second in the lineup, and it's the first inning, so he's only the second batter in the entire game. Nobody's worked very hard yet. Nobody's tired or confused. Strike one. Ball one. Ball two. Strike two. Ball three. Missing pitch--and by that I mean the pitcher throws the ball, it should have been called ball four and Panik would walk to first, but the umpire just neglects to call the pitch. So Panik sets up for the next pitch. Dave and I are looking at each other like "what the?" How do four umpires all miss the pitch? Finally, after about fifteen or twenty seconds, Bochy walks out. It has to go to New York for replay! We were laughing so hard-- just had never seen this happen. So New York of course calls it ball four and the game continues, but for the next couple of pitches, as soon as the pitch was thrown you'd hear people call the pitches loud enough for the umpires to hear.
As a side note, the family in front of us, consisting of a dad, a mom, and two daughters, was a study in how not to attend a baseball game. The adults brought an iPad with them and watched the US Open tennis match for the entire game, and all four family members were on their phones for better than half the game. Hey--if you want to take a picture here or there to document your fun, I'm all for it. You need to send a quick text? Have at it. But if you're going to go to a sporting event (or any event for that matter), why not at least make an attempt to enjoy where you are and take in the experience? I feel like we might be turning into a society that is not able to be content with where we are, but rather always trying to find out what's going on where we aren't. Put the electronics down, people. Look up. Take it in!
So that was day three. It was a fun day! I think what I am enjoying most about this little adventure is the people. We have now stayed in two different neighborhoods (although they are somewhat close together, they are in vastly different areas), biked throughout the city during all times of the day and evening, and talked to a nice variety of Phoenicians. Every single person has been friendly (even when we're in our Giants gear). When we're biking down the street, no matter the neighborhood, if you smile at people and say hello they smile and say hello back. Nobody looks menacing or even slightly scary when they're smiling at you and nodding their head to return a greeting.
One more day... one day more (that was for you, Olivia-- sing it with me!).
Greetings from Phoenix--wish you were here :)
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