Another easy moving day

January 12, 2021 to January 13, 2021

Yesterday was my first day off for quite some time, but I needed it. My knees stiffened up from our hike to Seven Falls, and it felt prudent to listen to my body and just relax. While Rachael rode out the Oro Valley on the Loop, I filled my lonely hours in the usual way: reading a book, obsessing over the news, and plotting out itineraries for tours we hope to take once real travel becomes a possibility again.

Today is moving day. We leave the second of the two back-to-back casitas on Mabel Street we’ve been staying at for the last month, and move on. Before we go, let’s take a last look at this place:

The kitchen/living space of the so-called ‘Hidden Casita’, hiding behind the one we stayed at two weeks ago.

The place was perfectly acceptable, but not quite up to the standard of the larger place in front. Fewer options for hanging out, a bit cold and drafty, but otherwise fine. If we come back some winter we’d consider it again, but we’d look around to see what else was available. If they resurface Mabel Street, especially.

Today is Rachael’s day for a break from the bike, but mostly because it’s due for some maintenance: new chain and cluster, replacement of a brake cable, the usual adjustments, and a new tire to replace the one that flattened back in Sonoita. For $200, a real bargain.

Moving is a snap. Our current host let’s us hang around for a few extra hours and our new one lets us arrive early, so we can just move directly from one to the other without marking time anywhere. We have the car loaded by 10 with everything but the refrigerated items, and then Rachael takes off on her own while I take responsibility for the rest of the move. In true Rocky fashion, she’s off the bike today but not off the regimen - she takes an 11 mile hike up to the top of Sentinel Peak, ending up at our new home mid-afternoon.

Image not found :( — The view from the summit of Sentinel Peak. I’m not sure of direction here, but I think it must be looking north, with Tumamoc Hill as the nearest formation in the center.

Looking down the east slope of Sentinel Peak. The top of the big blue A is just below, with the dry gash of the Santa Cruz River an the bottom, flanked by bike paths of the Loop.

Our new home for the coming four weeks is amazing, the best place yet. Large, warm, comfortable, with a soothing color scheme and a layout that is very easy to feel at home in. Amazingly, with a monthly discount it works out to only $58/day, taxes and fees included.

It’s in an interesting location, in the so-called Hidden Barrio: a small neighborhood just southeast of downtown that’s been isolated by arterials. It makes me think of Lair Hill up in Portland, a similarly small and isolated community. It’s a bit further from the Loop, but it’s only two blocks from Aviation bikeway, near the Rattlesnake Bridge. I haven’t checked, but I think if we got a clear look we could see the tail of the rattlesnake from here.

Our home for the coming month, in the Hidden Barrio. Inviting!

The primary bedroom. Do we still call these master bedrooms? What’s the PC term for these now?

The kitchen. Also, not shown, are a much smaller bedroom, useful for storing our junk; a pretty tiny bathroom; and a washer and drier out back.

I’m moved in by about 2, and could take off for a ride; but by now the impeachment vote is well underway, and I decide to see it through. The outcome is preordained, but I’m curious to see how many republicans find a spine. A whole 10 of them! Quite heartening - nearly 5% of their caucus found the courage to agree that you shouldn’t remain president if you’ve been caught red handed trying to overthrow the government.

On that warm thought, I hop on the bike and head off for a spin southeast along Julian Wash. I don’t get my 42 miles in because there’s not enough day left, but enough that it counts for a ride. So, between the two of us we credit ourselves with one riding day out of the last two.

Looking north at the Santa Catalina Range from a bridge across Kino Wash. It feels wonderful being out this late in the day: still warm, the mountains more striking in the late day light. We should get out later in the day more often.

In the evening we relax into our new home, spending prime time in the same way we have for almost three weeks now: by watching the next installment of The Handmaid’s Tale. Such a gripping, horrifying, apocryphal saga. It feels exactly right for these times, and all too plausible for comfort.

Ride stats this post: 42 miles, 900’; for the tour: 1,940 miles, 66,500’; for the year: 11 riding days, 470 miles, 14,500’, and 1 flat tire

Today's ride: 42 miles (68 km)
Total: 1,881 miles (3,027 km)

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Kelly IniguezHow is the road surface near this house? Jacinto was impressed with the total price. We are interested.
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3 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Kelly IniguezNot great, but not as bad as Mabel Street. It’s only a block or two until you get to better pavement though, so not bad at all. I wonder what the prices will be down the road when things get back to normal, but I imagine this will still be more reasonable than most because it’s a bit out of the way.
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3 years ago

Gregory GarceauOh, to live like Rocky and Scott,
Oh, to live the life they've got,
Oh, to ride my bike in the desert,
Oh, to ride til my legs hurt.

Oh, to fill my off-days the "usual way,"
By reading a book and the news of the day,
Oh, to move from casita to casita,
Oh, to find a good taco and margarita.

Oh, to spend a month in the Hidden Barrio,
Maybe sometime in the distant tomorrowio,
With a bedroom and a kitchen so fine,
With a front yard graced by an excellent sign.

Oh, to climb something named Summit Peak,
Oh, to eat at restaurants so chic,
Oh, to park myself under a saguaro,
And dream of that distant tomorrow.
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3 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Gregory GarceauA work of art, Gregory, worthy of addition to the Poet’s Corner. Casita/marguerita; Hidden Barrio/ distant tomorrow; saguaro/tomorrow. Beautiful.
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3 years ago

Jen RahnTo Gregory GarceauBrilliant! Just brilliant!
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3 years ago

Gregory GarceauTo Jen RahnThanks Jen. I used to just comment on Scott and Rocky's blog with a couple of sentences. But then I saw your fun limericks and said to myself, "That's it! From now on I'm commenting in poetic form too." Thanks for the inspiration.
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3 years ago