August in Tucson

Today, at long last, I smelled creosote. For those of you not raised in the desert, you should really try to come to Tucson during monsoon season, just for the smell. I don't know the science of it, but when creosote (a desert bush) gets rained on, it smells a certain way, and the gusty wind blows it through the air and that's how you know that rain is coming your way. It's an especially wonderful omen, because summer in Tucson is incredibly hot. Everyone knows this. But seriously, it's like living in an oven, so when you smell creosote, it is such a relief.

There is something really unique and wonderful about being home these days. Extended periods of time where I really have very few obligations, because what kind of obligation can you incur when you are only living somewhere for 3 weeks? So I see my friends, I catch up on projects I've put off, and I get to eat out of my parents' refrigerator and sleep in my comfy old bed. And it's great. None of the stress of traveling, and all of the free time. It really works for me too because I am such a lazy person at heart. I know a lot of people who get really antsy and bored if they don't accomplish things during a day, and while its true that I might get that way if I failed to accomplish anything for weeks on end, for the most part it doesn't bother me, in the same way that I look at my room and can think its clean when other people could shriek at the horror of the clutter. I really just don't see the mess, and my lack of productivity also usually has to be pointed out to me by other people.

So that's been my last week or so: relaxation in this hot hot desert. And now it is raining. I like to think it is a little karmic reward for me since today I went to boot camp exercise class with my mom, which is OUTDOORS, and at 5:30 pm. At 4:30 the car's thermostat read 107, just to give you an idea.

Hmmm...what else do I have to say, blogosphere? I think I'll just make a list of some other activities completed since I've been in Tucson.

- golf with my dad
- saw Up for the 3rd time
- yoga
- pilates
- swimming
- finished Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
- began High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
- bought a netbook
- salsa dancing
- ate dinner at Feast (my absolute favorite Tucson restaurant), Zona78, Blanco
- wine tasting
- had a strange reaction to chigger bites, which is now nearly cured
- learned how to cook Indian food
- enrolled in health insurance (YAY!)
- started a blog

Man, in two months, grad school-me is gonna be quite envious of summer-me.

Tucson Summer Pie: chopped pork tenderloin, prickly pear sauce, peaches, and traditional crust.