Phoenix Observation # 5: Christmas in the Desert

Moving to the desert seemed dreadful to me for many reasons, but I think there's a few that are just a little more dreadful this time of year.

I knew I was going to miss snow sports. I used to ski a lot when I lived in Canada, but never made it out often (read: 2 times) while I was in high school or college. So, when I moved to the NW, I made a pledge to myself to pick up snowboarding. And I did. I loved it. The wife and I could throw our equipment and drive up to the mountain in about an hour. I even skipped out of work early a couple times to go on weekdays, when the snow was right. Now that's all gone. C'est la vie.

Winter really just sneaks up on you here. It's hot-as-balls, hot-as-balls, hot-as-balls... then BAM! It's colder-than-shit. Where did that come from?!? We recieved a little warning when it rained for 3 days straight, then that's when the cold hit. It's freakishly odd. I also expected the days to be longer in the winter, being this far south, but for some reason they seem just as short as in the NW... I guess in the winter you're always going to, and coming home, from work in the dark. No matter what. That's the way the cookie crumbles.

Alright, what about Christmas? I've never gotten used to the idea of not having a WHITE Christmas. Even in Virginia and Washington, there was a chance of a white Christmas. Not here though. Are you from NoVa? Remember the "blizzard" of '96? That was the first winter I spent in Virginia, and I didn't know what everyone was freaking out about. That was a usual winter for us in Ottawa. My brother and I made over $200 shoveling driveways that first day. Alas, gone for me are the days of the white Christmas. Que sera sera.

Really, all you get for "winter" and "Christmas" in Phoenix is a little rain and weather just cold enough for you to throw on a hoodie. Just wrap lights around your palm trees and cacti and put Santa and his reindeer on your roof... never mind that a sleigh is not an efficient mode of transport in the desert.

So it goes.

Much accomplished

I started this (second) blog with the idea of actually keeping up with it, and I haven't really done that very well so far. I promise I have good reasons for my absence, along with a few bad ones:

- I took the final exam for my very first graduate school class at ASU, and apparently did great! Final grades were posted late last week, and I somehow managed to get an "A". This is good news, because I have to persuade my employer to pay me back for each class as I pass them and this ensures 100% reimbursement.

- Made a trip up to Pinetop, AZ a few weekends ago. It rained the whole ride up there, and when we arrived it was dark. We woke up the next morning to about an inch of snow, which in Arizona is significant We did some hiking while we were up there, as well as just relaxed. It was a good trip, given the stress of family Thanksgiving.

- I've been charged with redesigning the website of the Phoenix chapter of Engineers without borders. The current website is a bit... inadequate. Stay tuned for some changes. I'm also taking on some responsibility for some fundraising projects that should be pretty time consuming as well.

- Ewa and I bought bikes a while back, and we recently found a nice, chill bar a few blocks away. We've been incrementally testing our ability to bike after enjoying a few pints. Don't worry, we've equipped the cruisers (actual "cruisers", check out Ewa's ride) with lights for nighttime riding.

- I've been playing around with Shelfari, thanks Ike.

- Been runnin'. I ran 7.5 miles this past Sunday.

- Finally, I've set up a Flickr account. Check out pictures from the trip to Pinetop, if you'd like. More pictures once I upgrade to a pro account... Merry Christmas maybe?

-Watched: Futurama: Bender's Big Score - Too much Futurama in too little time. Hot Rod: Mind-numbingly retarded. Superbad - Mind-numbingly hilarious. Beowulf - 3D CGI = Sweet-Jeebus!

So, as you can see, I've been very busy. I didn't even mention holiday parties and christmas shopping! We all get busy this time of year, so I hope you all can cut me a little slack.

Happy Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa, etc.