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f13.net General Forums => General Discussion => Topic started by: schild on June 26, 2005, 12:01:18 AM



Title: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on June 26, 2005, 12:01:18 AM
So, as many know, 3 friends and I (all gamers) are moving out to Arizona in August (roughly the 20th). I know a number of members live out there/near there. I'm looking for sort of a roll call, and a whosit whatsit about the place. We're planning on getting a bigass estate west of Phoenix :rock: (...if they exist  :roll:). Anyway, from July 16th through the 19th, I'll be visiting to look for a house. If anyone wants to get together for a drink or something, I'm game. Hell, I'll even let you buy. Seriously, I'm just that generous.

Have I ever mentioned how shitty it is to live in Prince Georges County, MD? It puts the "Holy Fuck, a place like that exists?!" in "Shitty". Anyway, yea. I see much gaming in store for the new frontier.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Llava on June 26, 2005, 12:24:44 AM
Well, as you know, I'm out here.  I'm in Scottsdale.  I don't drink, but I am of legal age (and then a couple) to hang out in bars, so I'd be up for a get-together of sorts.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: stray on June 26, 2005, 12:25:51 AM
Hmm....Uh, I used to live near where they filmed Gunsmoke (or was it Bonzana?).

Not very helpful, I know  :|

Good luck though (especially on having 3 roomies).


edit: And you better prepare for some killer, dry ass heat. Only Texas and Death Valley top that place.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on June 26, 2005, 12:30:00 AM
These are going to be pretty easy guys to live with. One was my roommate in college for 3.5 years, and I've known the other two pretty well for 4 years.

Yea, llava, I remember you being out there - as well as Shockeye and Rasix. I'm wondering who else will be coming out of the woodwork.  I'll admit though, while it wasn't a plan when we thought about moving out there, having 4 gamers in one place will make it really easy to have some kickass multiplayer going, particularly with this coming year being a console-release year.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Morfiend on June 26, 2005, 12:56:41 AM
Can the rest of us point and laugh?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Strazos on June 26, 2005, 01:48:58 AM
I still say where I live in NJ is worse than where Schild lives in MD.

Just sayin'.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Llava on June 26, 2005, 03:02:50 AM
edit: And you better prepare for some killer, dry ass heat. Only Texas and Death Valley top that place.

THANK you.

I'm so sick of people (who don't live here) going, "Well, it's hot but it's a dry heat."

Like that's at all better.

Humid sucks equally, but dry heat makes the air taste like dust, makes your skin feel like it's going to dry up, crack, and fall off, makes you squint so hard that you can't see where you're going, superheats everything you have to touch, and altogether just plain sucks.  You will dread the walk from the safety of air conditioning to the parking lot.

Thankfully, it hasn't been that bad yet this year.  But we still haven't hit July and August.  Then we're stuck with excess heat until Halloween.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on June 26, 2005, 06:25:32 AM
I still say where I live in NJ is worse than where Schild lives in MD.

Just sayin'.

I thought you lived in Roma?  Anyway, I probably live in the nicest bit of NJ at the moment... but still... it's NJ and I don't much care for it.  Hopefully, in a couple of months, we'll be moving someplace else.  I might hate moving (I have done it WAY too much the last 10 years or so) but I'm always happy to be going Someplace Else.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Lanei on June 26, 2005, 12:52:39 PM
I'm in Scottsdale, also.

It may be a 'dry heat' .. making 110 feel like 98 or so.  But once it gets over a certain temp, its still just fucking hot.  Theres also the small matter of 'dry heat' being able to kill your ass quicker.  You can get a full blown case of heat exhaustion, and be in danger of heatstroke out here before you get near as uncomfortable as a mild case of heat exhaustion somewhere more humid.  If you aren't prepared, it can kill your ass double quick.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Roac on June 26, 2005, 01:10:36 PM
I'm so sick of people (who don't live here) going, "Well, it's hot but it's a dry heat."

Difference; in dry heat, sweat serves its purpose.  You sweat, it evaporates into the dry air thereby cooling you off.  As opposed to humid heat, where you experience the joy of bathing in your own sweat in order to parboil you in your own clothes.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on June 26, 2005, 01:27:15 PM
You guys should come visit beautiful Portland, Oregon for a spell this summer. Summers are just gorgeous here. And although the SE grows amazing peaches, our Hood River white nectarines are truly to die for. Also, we have a fun old-skool arcade that serves alcohol and has live music from time to time (Ground Control was a NXNW venue). They even have couches with consoles set up.

If anyone is planning on coming all the way west while out on their journey, look me up. Hell, The Jesus lives in Seattle, right?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Roac on June 26, 2005, 01:59:55 PM
My favorite city is Seattle - I would *love* to move up there.  Although I haven't been to Portland, I've heard similar vibes from it.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: stray on June 26, 2005, 02:50:15 PM
Everytime I go to Seattle, I bring the heat with me. Everytime, for the past 20 years.....And the freaks don't even have air conditioners up there.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Daydreamer on June 26, 2005, 03:04:45 PM
I live out San Diego, and as of the 30th of June I will be officially unemployed and looking for stupid post college hijinks, so count me in.

ROADTRIP!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Viin on June 26, 2005, 05:10:14 PM
Everytime I go to Seattle, I bring the heat with me. Everytime, for the past 20 years.....And the freaks don't even have air conditioners up there.

Weird, huh? Me and my gf went to Seattle for vacation and stayed at the Hotel Monaco (pricey joint, almost $200 a night) which was during a warm spell (it was for PAX last year, so it must have been late September).. and guess what? No a/c! It cooled off fast enough once the sun set, but damn it, if you were in the room for more than a few minutes during the middle of the day it was hot as hell. Come on guys! Just hook up a big ass A/C unit to your central air...


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Paelos on June 26, 2005, 05:23:08 PM
I think it was 73 in my part of Colorado today. Before you get all pissy though, I did spend 18 years in Texas, and I do agree. People that think humid heat is worse are idiots. Oh you're sweaty? Guess what, in dry heat people die!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Viin on June 26, 2005, 05:51:07 PM
It was pretty hot at the Front Range Airport (EAA Airshow this weekend, some pics on my blog soon) today, probably 90-ish. FTG is about 20 miles East of Denver.

As far as humidity goes, I agree, dry heat sucks (try Iraq in June-July) but humid heat is more uncomfortable. As long as you have water you are fine in a dry heat. In a humid heat you just want to lay down and die in your own stinking sweat.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Alkiera on June 26, 2005, 05:57:59 PM
I used to live in Louisiana, in Shreveport.  Unlike the very nearby Texas, we had the 'humid' side of 110+ degree summers.  Sweating does next to nothing for cooling you, and you'll still dehydrate.  You also get a bit of a chill when you walk into an air-conditioned building, as the cool dry air sucks the water off you like a sponge.

They have their trade offs, but imo, wet or dry, 100+ temps just SUCK.

Alkiera


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Merusk on June 26, 2005, 06:32:59 PM
My wife grew up in Tuscon.  She couldn't wait to get the fuck out of Arizona, and once she did the rest of her family soon followed (after her sister graduated High School).  I'm baffled at those of you completly willing to stay.

Then again, I'm dumb enough to remain in Cincinnati because I don't feel like finding another position in my company.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Fabricated on June 26, 2005, 07:14:07 PM
I'd rather like in Arizona than in D.C.

I live in Indiana, so we get the full spectrum of weather from 95-100 degree summers to -10 to 20 degree winters with massive snowstorms.

And tornadoes, but no one who lives here is all that impressed by them.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on June 26, 2005, 07:26:59 PM
My favorite city is Seattle - I would *love* to move up there.  Although I haven't been to Portland, I've heard similar vibes from it.

Portland makes Seattle look like L.A. If Seattle is your best friend, Portland is her hot cousin. The Shins and Elliot Smith are from here! Two of the Shins still live here, too. (I know, everyone else is from Seattle but I gotta hold on to what I got)

Plus I'm one of the rare natives, so I git all uppity about how awesome PDX is.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Joe on June 26, 2005, 07:42:50 PM
THANK you.

I'm so sick of people (who don't live here) going, "Well, it's hot but it's a dry heat."

Like that's at all better.

Humid sucks equally, but dry heat makes the air taste like dust, makes your skin feel like it's going to dry up, crack, and fall off, makes you squint so hard that you can't see where you're going, superheats everything you have to touch, and altogether just plain sucks.  You will dread the walk from the safety of air conditioning to the parking lot.

Thankfully, it hasn't been that bad yet this year.  But we still haven't hit July and August.  Then we're stuck with excess heat until Halloween.

Fuck you. I've lived in both climates. Give me 115 with 15% humidity over 90/90%. I won't downplay your suffering, but fuck humidity. At least you don't have mosquitos.

Southwest, my heart pines for thee.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on June 26, 2005, 07:54:48 PM
If you hate mosquitos then stay the fuck away from Alaska. Yeah, summer in the 70s feels pretty awesome, but the skeeter is the fucking state bird of Alaska.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: stray on June 26, 2005, 08:05:57 PM
Fuck you.

Err...."Chill" out...? We're just talking about the "weather" dude.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on June 26, 2005, 08:08:43 PM
Joe's just bitter. He discovered Durham is just another name for Hell. That place has truly icky weather. PG County MD just has bad weather with a chance of gunshots and stabbings.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Shockeye on June 26, 2005, 08:13:20 PM
At least you don't have mosquitos.

Actually, we have plenty of fucking mosquitos in Phoenix. It's because Joe Sixpack decides the desert isn't good enough and transforms shit into the midwest which means standing water and west nile disease.

Thanks a lot all you fucktards that insist we have to have trees and grass everything in the goddamn desert.

Now if you'll excuse me I have to go water my lawn.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on June 26, 2005, 08:23:58 PM
I think the desert is beautiful. Western Oregon is all huge trees and lush moss and ferns, which sounds great, but it actually gets old after awhile. I love sagebrush, shrub/steppe and cactus country. I even have a pretty kickass succulent collection, so I can have little pots of desert all over my porch. And dang but y'all have some lizards.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Paelos on June 26, 2005, 08:59:33 PM
F13.net - Even the weather makes us angry!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Abagadro on June 26, 2005, 10:38:36 PM
I'm sorta, almost near Arizona and regularly drive through the corner of it to get to Las Vegas.  But where I live is a scary place that you should only visit if you have to.

EDIT: Oh, and 1000 posts. Yay, or something.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: stray on June 26, 2005, 10:40:34 PM
I'm sorta, almost near Arizona and regularly drive through the corner of it to get to Las Vegas.  But where I live is a scary place that you should only visit if you have to.

No, no that won't do.

Where exactly is it, and how do I get there?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Roac on June 26, 2005, 10:56:23 PM
No, no that won't do.

Where exactly is it, and how do I get there?

Send all hate-mail to the following ZIP: 20500-0003



Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Llava on June 27, 2005, 03:44:52 AM
At least you don't have mosquitos.

Actually, we have plenty of fucking mosquitos in Phoenix. It's because Joe Sixpack decides the desert isn't good enough and transforms shit into the midwest which means standing water and west nile disease.

Thanks a lot all you fucktards that insist we have to have trees and grass everything in the goddamn desert.

Now if you'll excuse me I have to go water my lawn.

To expand on what Shockeye said:
You will get both a fine and mandatory community service if you have an unmaintained body of water on your property, because it leads to mosquito breeding.  They're a serious problem here.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Joe on June 27, 2005, 06:17:51 AM
Oh yeah, forgot about the monsoons and pool problems you guys have in regard to humidity. Monsoon season in Nevada meant the humidity would creep up to 35% and it'd rain for an hour a day.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Mortriden on June 27, 2005, 06:56:58 AM
I think the desert is beautiful. Western Oregon is all huge trees and lush moss and ferns, which sounds great, but it actually gets old after awhile. I love sagebrush, shrub/steppe and cactus country. I even have a pretty kickass succulent collection, so I can have little pots of desert all over my porch. And dang but y'all have some lizards.

I don't know Voodoo.  This side of the state is gorgeous; it never gets boring to me.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ookii on June 27, 2005, 07:19:05 AM
It's like schild is afraid to be associated with the guys he is moving out there with, it is me, koboshi, and this other guy who is too afraid to post on f13.

Basically the reason we are moving out there is that the rent is so goddamn cheap, I mean the utilities couldn't be THAT expensive right?

Now I just need to get a car because it appears impossible to live in Phoenix without a car, and I'm also hoping I can find me a tech job once I get out there (probaly impossible, retail 4 life!!1!!).


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Roac on June 27, 2005, 07:20:13 AM
Monsoon season in Nevada meant the humidity would creep up to 35% and it'd rain for an hour a day.

That's funny - I'd kill for 35% humidity.  It's consistantly 80%+ here.  80F and 84% today, which makes it fairly mild by comparison to the norm (90-92F with similar humidity) for this time of year.  By comparison, Phoenix today is 81F and 14% humidity (norm 100F, similar humidity).  Heat Index calculator (http://html.wftv.com/sh/idi/weather/calculators/index-heatindex.html), for those so inclined.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on June 27, 2005, 07:33:15 AM
I like the Southwest.  I worked a couple of years at Taos Ski Valley when I was 18 and during the summers I roamed around a bit.  New Mexico is lovely, all year round, and parts of Arizona are extroidinary.  One of the things that Righ and I have in common is that we grew up living in some unusual places.  Between us and together, we've found wonderful things in nearly every place we've lived or visited.  I still even have hopes for New Jersey... we'd better hurry, it's almost time to leave this state.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Madman on June 27, 2005, 07:34:29 AM
I live in Indiana, so we get the full spectrum of weather from 95-100 degree summers to -10 to 20 degree winters with massive snowstorms.

And tornadoes, but no one who lives here is all that impressed by them.

I can vouch for this spectrum of weather having lived mostly in Chicago my whole life with a little bit of time served in Muncie, Indiana. It is the same way in Chicago, blazingly hot during the summer and cold as hell during the winter.

And you fuckers don't know how lucky you are to have dry heat. Yeah, I know it is still hot, but when you walk outdoors in the summer here you are immediately covered in a sheen of sweat that just doesn't go away and that shit just isn't pleasant. Of course, I would rather live in Chicago (well the burbs anyway) than anywhere else.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on June 27, 2005, 07:40:36 AM
I'm a lady.  I never sweat... I glow.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Bunk on June 27, 2005, 07:57:13 AM
Wow, this must be some special thread, having two posts from Joe in it.

All this talk of 100 degree weather just makes me apreciate my Pacific Northwest (or Westcoast as we call it in my country) climate all the more. So Schild, is there a particular reason for moving to Arizona specifically? No offense to those of you that are there, but it wouldn't exaclty be high on my list of places in the States to move to.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Toast on June 27, 2005, 08:25:27 AM
I'm in Texas, and the heat isn't too bad. Just get ready to spend an amazing fortune on air conditioning.

We do get the benefit of mild winters with little to no snow or ice.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on June 27, 2005, 08:40:09 AM
As Ookiih said, rent is cheap. But that's not my impetus for moving out there. I'm not too worried about rent wherever. My big reason for moving out there is that the east coast is a wretched hive of scum. This entire coast is just a giant fucking wasteland. I fucking hate it. There aren't enough words. I hate New York. DC. Miami. I'm sick of it all. I've done my time here. It's a goddamn prison and I'm set free in August.

Now why Arizona instead of anywhere else off the east coast? Rent is cheap. And I want to strike fear into the minds of Shockeye's kids. I like Mexican food. But I don't want to live in Mexico. Or Texas. Or New Mexico. And definately not California.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: kaid on June 27, 2005, 08:46:07 AM
One other plus about living in AZ is if you take care of your cars they can last a real freaking long time. Unlike Wisconsin which is the car eating rust monster in AZ take care of your car and it will go and go and go.

But yes if you are going to live in pheonix you will want a vehical because it is a pretty spread out town and at least as of the last time I was down there the public transportation was okay but not super.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on June 27, 2005, 08:50:43 AM
I'll be bringing my RSX Type-S. I'm hoping there's more room and flat roads to abuse than there are in Ghetto, MD. This car was not made for city-driving.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Merusk on June 27, 2005, 09:14:29 AM
I like Mexican food. But I don't want to live in Mexico. Or Texas. Or New Mexico. And definately not California.


Damn tricky return keys.

From what the in-laws say, you don't want to live outside of Phoenix, then.  Not in the least.  It's Mexico lite.

Quote
Basically the reason we are moving out there is that the rent is so goddamn cheap, I mean the utilities couldn't be THAT expensive right?

Basically the reason we are moving out there is that the rent is so goddamn cheap, I mean the utilities couldn't be THAT expensive right?

Well, Shockeye could speak on the utilities, but water ain't cheap (You're in the desert, after all) and running the AC all the time isn't cheap either.  My brother-in-law couldn't find any tech work out there, either.  But he's a moron to the Vault degree, so I wouldn't take it as any sort of sign.

Quote
Actually, we have plenty of fucking mosquitos in Phoenix. It's because Joe Sixpack decides the desert isn't good enough and transforms shit into the midwest which means standing water and west nile disease.

Thanks a lot all you fucktards that insist we have to have trees and grass everything in the goddamn desert.

This is what struck me the most when I visited Tuscon.  All these walled-in yards with grass that was greener than my own lawn back in Cincinnati.  I expected lots of rock gardens and maybe a few water feature pools to provide some evaporative cooling.  Oh hell no, full lush lawns in every back yard.  I flipped.

Also, a few years back there was an article in Architectural Record (I think) about the abundance of water features and metal/ reflective glass buildings in Phoenix had completly changed the microclimate of the downtown area.  All that glass was reflecting and intensifying the sunlight to insane levels down on the street, and the water features/ evaporative cooling ponds were just adding to the humidity of the city.  So instead of having 100-110 degree temps with 5-15% humidity you wound-up with 120 degrees and 40-50% humidity in some areas.   Fucking insane.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on June 27, 2005, 09:16:04 AM
I like Mexican food. But I don't want to live in Mexico. Or Texas. Or New Mexico. And definately not California.

Confused? Bewildered? Not-So-Fresh feeling?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Merusk on June 27, 2005, 09:24:49 AM
The enter key, she pwned me as the page was loading.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on June 27, 2005, 09:29:56 AM
Ah, heh, when I go out in July to visit, I will actively try to find a house without a grass yard. Having a yard in the desert is just too fucking stupid. I can't speak for the other people in the house, but koboshi and I had an apartment in college and had the windows blacked out with sheets inside curtains for movies - with the side effect of those rooms always being cool. I very much plan on having the sun NEVER hitting the rooms I inhabit for more than 30 minutes a day from March til November.

Yes, I expect utilities to cost an assload, but then, you won't be running heat or A/C for a few months there. Though, I don't expect it to cost much more than in MD. Like others have said, you'll run the AC just as hard and long in 90 degree 80% humidity.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: WayAbvPar on June 27, 2005, 09:40:42 AM
My wife has family that lives in Mesa. They are snowbirds, so they decided not to build a pool (PITA to maintain it when you are gone that long). Their backyard is stone deck, with a rockery surrounding it- and an artificial turf putting green where the pool should be =)

I could see living there part time- I enjoyed my visit. But if I am going to live in the desert full time, it is gonna be in Las Vegas.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Bunk on June 27, 2005, 09:51:34 AM
Moving to Arizona becuase you like Mexican food. Ok, sounds like as good a reason as any. I think you're really just stalking Shockeye and don't want to admit it to yourself, but hey, whatever. I'll agree with Way, if I were gonna live in the desert, it would be in Vegas.

I just don't think i could stand that kind of prolonged heat. I'll take my rain up here in Vancouver. Water bill, air conditioning, what are those? Admitedly, if you want to live in the city here, the cost of living gets pretty bad, but we have plenty of affordable suburbs.

I love my city - Whistler an hour away for skiing, beaches and rainforests, and a four hour drive and you're at the lakes in the Okanagan desert (heading there in two weeks for a golf and jetski bachelor party).

I do hope you find what you are looking for man. I visited DC recently on business, and I can understand the urge to want to find something different.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on June 27, 2005, 09:56:34 AM
Ya know, I had forced myself not to do the green text thing. But I might have to start.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Pococurante on June 27, 2005, 10:10:16 AM
My big reason for moving out there is that the east coast is a wretched hive of scum. This entire coast is just a giant fucking wasteland. I fucking hate it. There aren't enough words. I hate New York. DC. Miami. I'm sick of it all. I've done my time here. It's a goddamn prison and I'm set free in August.

I'll never move back to East of the Mississippi.  I love the wide open too much.  Anytime I visit the East coast I feel claustrophobic.  And I like the people in the South much more, though we've had such an influx of snowbirds over the last two decades (/cough I was one of them) they're finally making the Mean felt by all.  Certainly our politics have gotten more stupid ("public schools? bah who needs 'em!")

I love Texas.  Wouldn't leave it.  Yeah the summers can be brutal but they weed out the weak, feeble, and obnoxiously suburban.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Zephyr on June 27, 2005, 10:14:26 AM
I like the Southwest.  I worked a couple of years at Taos Ski Valley when I was 18 and during the summers I roamed around a bit.  New Mexico is lovely, all year round, and parts of Arizona are extroidinary.  One of the things that Righ and I have in common is that we grew up living in some unusual places.  Between us and together, we've found wonderful things in nearly every place we've lived or visited.  I still even have hopes for New Jersey... we'd better hurry, it's almost time to leave this state.

As much as people knock it, there are some great places in New Jersey without guidos, smog, or crack houses.  :P

However, as seems to be the major complaint in this thread, the weather, I plan on leaving to southern Colorado once I get my professional license.  My SO's family lives in the valley on the border with New Mexico and I fell in love with the area last Xmas.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: HaemishM on June 27, 2005, 10:38:50 AM
You people want humid heat? Try fucking Mississippi. In August, and sometimes earlier, YOU CAN SEE THE HUMIDITY. And it's not raining, it's just that fucking humid.

And mosquitos? Fuck that, add on horseflies the size of your thumbnail, and every manner of flying fucker you can think of. I live by a man-made reservoir, which is a 15-mile stinky dump of a bug breeding ground. Just last weekend, the mayflies came back. Every year, swarms of these juicy little fuckers come flying out of the reservoir. They were so thick around the streetlights and really any light source they could find, it was like carpeting. There's this one car dealership I passed by when picking my brother-in-law up from work, with a big-ass white panel van parked underneath one of those streetlights. The front 1/4 of the vehicle was GRAY from all the goddamn bugs that just attached themselves to the hull. It was like fucking barnacles. They were still there the next morning, only they were dead or they were empty husks because they'd molted.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Bunk on June 27, 2005, 10:40:51 AM
And people live in this place because?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Pococurante on June 27, 2005, 10:43:47 AM
... because incest means never being without a date on Friday night.  :lol:


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: HaemishM on June 27, 2005, 10:45:41 AM
And people live in this place because?

They were born here.






Yeah, that's all I got. Inertia is a bitch.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Mortriden on June 27, 2005, 11:06:01 AM
You people want humid heat? Try fucking Mississippi. In August, and sometimes earlier, YOU CAN SEE THE HUMIDITY. And it's not raining, it's just that fucking humid.

And mosquitos? Fuck that, add on horseflies the size of your thumbnail, and every manner of flying fucker you can think of. I live by a man-made reservoir, which is a 15-mile stinky dump of a bug breeding ground. Just last weekend, the mayflies came back. Every year, swarms of these juicy little fuckers come flying out of the reservoir. They were so thick around the streetlights and really any light source they could find, it was like carpeting. There's this one car dealership I passed by when picking my brother-in-law up from work, with a big-ass white panel van parked underneath one of those streetlights. The front 1/4 of the vehicle was GRAY from all the goddamn bugs that just attached themselves to the hull. It was like fucking barnacles. They were still there the next morning, only they were dead or they were empty husks because they'd molted.

My buddy did his miitary time in Mississippi and Georgia (mainly Georgia).  Mention either of those states and he swears like Haemish does for sb.exe. 


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on June 27, 2005, 11:08:22 AM
I was in Biloxi, Mississippi during August once.    It was very uncomfortable... I was glowing like mad!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on June 27, 2005, 11:45:05 AM
My parents had been stationed in MD and VA when they were in the military, and I've heard the humidity/palmetto bug horror stories. Although DC does have (or had?) the coolest bar I've ever been to - Cafe Loutrec. Live jazz, old black cat tap-dancing on the bar, coffee cocktails and smoking a j in the balcony. Good times.

Today in Portland we have 100% humidity. It's 70 and drizzling.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Bunk on June 27, 2005, 11:47:46 AM
Same here Lily, about 70 and drizzle. The rain feels good on the sunburnt scalp I got this weekend though.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Pococurante on June 27, 2005, 12:26:59 PM
Everytime I go to D.C. in the summer I wonder how the hell Houston got so many marble buildings...


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Daeven on June 27, 2005, 12:34:49 PM
It was pretty hot at the Front Range Airport (EAA Airshow this weekend, some pics on my blog soon) today, probably 90-ish. FTG is about 20 miles East of Denver.

Damn. I'm sorry I missed it.

As to Arizona, I spent 10 years there. That was enough thank you very much.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: ClydeJr on June 27, 2005, 12:38:56 PM
Everytime I go to D.C. in the summer I wonder how the hell Houston got so many marble buildings...

Houston, TX: Combine one of the fattest cities in the U.S. with weather that most closely resembles the inside of the steam cooker. If St. Peter screwed up and Jeffrey Dahlmer went to heaven, it would be in Houston.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Daeven on June 27, 2005, 01:00:22 PM
At least you don't have mosquitos.

Actually, we have plenty of fucking mosquitos in Phoenix. It's because Joe Sixpack decides the desert isn't good enough and transforms shit into the midwest which means standing water and west nile disease.

Thanks a lot all you fucktards that insist we have to have trees and grass everything in the goddamn desert.

Now if you'll excuse me I have to go water my lawn.
Make sure you water the Eucalyptus and Olive groves while you are at it. Just to make certain they can pollinate that 87th time this year....


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: MaceVanHoffen on June 27, 2005, 01:22:49 PM
I lived in Phoenix for 4-ish years, and loved it.  I still miss it.  Phoenix > Cali, that's for sure.

I got used to the heat kinda quick.  The first year was just plain hellish, but after that I was playing hoop outside at 4pm in the summer several times a week.  You do have to drink a metric butt-ton of water, though.  It's wierd to drink a gallon of water while playing some sport, then not have to pee.

My old stomping grounds are probably gone, but one place you have to try if it's still there is Chino Bandito's at 19th and Greenway (I think ... it's been a while so not sure on the intersection).  It's combination Chinese/Mexican food.  It makes you fart for hours while craving it again.  Plus, Phoenix is like some kind of mecca for brewpubs.  Cougan's over near Sun City had some uber-good barley wine.

Oh, yeah, the monsoons.  They suck.  Two or three times a year I had to do a major cleaning on my pool.  But hey, I'll take that over the earthquakes here any day.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ookii on June 27, 2005, 01:48:58 PM
My parents had been stationed in MD and VA when they were in the military, and I've heard the humidity/palmetto bug horror stories. Although DC does have (or had?) the coolest bar I've ever been to - Cafe Loutrec. Live jazz, old black cat tap-dancing on the bar, coffee cocktails and smoking a j in the balcony. Good times.

Lived here all my life and I've never been, schild and I should hit that up before our 2330 mile departure.

What about trips to Mexico from Phoenix, from the map I stare at all day it seems the closest city would be Nogales, and that is the place where the feds busted those guys smuggling heroin in cocaine (not sure if I want to visit).  I guess the best thing would be to drive to Mexicali or Tijuana?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Llava on June 27, 2005, 02:09:07 PM
Here's what I paid this last month for utilities:

Electricity: $165.72
Trash/Water: $66.47
Gas: $17.05

So in the summer you're looking at a bit less than 250 a month.  When it gets to be later in fall, the electricity bill will drop a ton because you can just leave air conditioning and heating off.  After Christmas, though, chances are you'll want some heating.  One thing about living in Arizona- suddenly temperatures in the 60s become intolerably cold.  I've got a friend who moved here from Ireland who couldn't handle winter nights without heating.  But he moved back to Ireland and sleeps in his apartment without using the heating at all.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Merusk on June 27, 2005, 02:11:53 PM
Here's what I paid this last month for utilities:

Electricity: $165.72
Trash/Water: $66.47
Gas: $17.05

So in the summer you're looking at a bit less than 250 a month.

For how many square feet of living space, and how many people using the shower?  Because I find it amazing that your water/ trash is less than just my water/ sewer in the middle of the midwest. (Without watering the lawn I add, as I sadly look at the brown mess it's becoming.)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Viin on June 27, 2005, 02:13:06 PM
Youch, and I thought my $100 electric bill was a lot. I guess $1200/year isn't too bad in the face of things (no a/c though, just a swamp cooler on a timer).


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Shockeye on June 27, 2005, 02:39:57 PM
Now I just need to get a car because it appears impossible to live in Phoenix without a car, and I'm also hoping I can find me a tech job once I get out there (probaly impossible, retail 4 life!!1!!).

Car, yes.

http://www.jobing.com use zip code 85025 for central Phoenix or 85301 for west-side.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Teleku on June 27, 2005, 02:40:40 PM
Out of curiosity, what the hell is wrong with California?  Leave LA out of it, that’s a shit hole.  I don't really like Southern California in general (though San Diego is a fairly cool place to live, or at least go to college in so far), but the rest of the state is very nice, and very beautiful.  Northern California is similar in climate to Oregon, and a very cool place to live (grew up their).


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Joe on June 27, 2005, 03:17:32 PM
What about trips to Mexico from Phoenix, from the map I stare at all day it seems the closest city would be Nogales, and that is the place where the feds busted those guys smuggling heroin in cocaine (not sure if I want to visit).  I guess the best thing would be to drive to Mexicali or Tijuana?

Drive to San Diego and take the train into Tijuana. That way, you have an American hotel where you sleep, and it's a 30 minute ride into the land of donkey shows and discount merchandise.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Teleku on June 27, 2005, 03:19:40 PM
Yeah, they just completed the trolly line to San Diego State.  Now there is a direct train line straight from my college to Tijuana.  I foresee no problems with this!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Llava on June 27, 2005, 04:29:35 PM
For how many square feet of living space, and how many people using the shower?  Because I find it amazing that your water/ trash is less than just my water/ sewer in the middle of the midwest. (Without watering the lawn I add, as I sadly look at the brown mess it's becoming.)

1,595 of living space.  It's my house and my brother lives with me, just the two of us.  But then, he doesn't shower as much as a normal person...  So probably together, we count as 1.5 people in terms of shower use.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Trippy on June 27, 2005, 05:13:24 PM
Out of curiosity, what the hell is wrong with California?  Leave LA out of it, that’s a shit hole.  I don't really like Southern California in general (though San Diego is a fairly cool place to live, or at least go to college in so far), but the rest of the state is very nice, and very beautiful.  Northern California is similar in climate to Oregon, and a very cool place to live (grew up their).
Yes the weather here in Northern California is arguably the best in the US (Redwood City and Oakland regularly duke it out for that title). Unfortunately the housing prices here are absolutely unbelievably ridiculously fricking expensive. Any of you thinking about moving here should just stay the hell away.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Trippy on June 27, 2005, 05:35:03 PM
I still even have hopes for New Jersey... we'd better hurry, it's almost time to leave this state.
As much as people knock it, there are some great places in New Jersey without guidos, smog, or crack houses.  :P
The upper end of New Jersey (basically anything north of Newark) is incredibly beautiful. At a previous job I was sent out a number of times to Woodcliff Lake to work on a project with Sony (also home to BMW NA) and that area is really nice. In contrast Newark is a total dump. It looks like something Terry Gilliam or Tim Burton would put together to represent a modern-day version of Industrial revolution-era England with smokestacks and soot and grime everywhere.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on June 27, 2005, 05:55:26 PM
Ah... now I'm in the mood to get stoned and watch Brazil.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on June 27, 2005, 05:56:15 PM
Ah... now I'm in the mood to get stoned and watch Brazil.

There's a great Brazil reference in Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. Where you claim that you're Tuttle, a well-armed and easily aggravated heating duct repairman. It's good stuff.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Rasix on June 27, 2005, 06:09:39 PM
Here's what I paid this last month for utilities:

Electricity: $165.72
Trash/Water: $66.47
Gas: $17.05


I think my electric bill is less and I'm in a 2100 sq' 2 story (kept at 76).  But, in Tucson we're on average about 5-10 degrees less.  Trash/water/sewer is about the same and I've got my small lawn to thank for that.

I don't mind the heat but I've been here for all of my 26 years.  I don't do anything stupid though like trying to play basketball at noon on an outdoor court.  We've had a remarkable amount of rain for us this year and it's manifesting itself in rather nasty ways.   On Saturday my cats dragged a 2' garden snake into the living room at around 6am.  I'm not terribly fond of snakes.  Then, Sunday while I was taking out the trash, a rattlesnake slithered across my yard.   Now I'm going to drop the chicken wire across my back gate another inch and try to sure up the other holes in the defenses, all while praying the snake doesn't come back.  Right now with all of the different methods the critters have found for penetrating my yard, it often resembles a mini wild kingdom.

Yah, it's horribly hot here, but I'm not a fatass so to me it's a lot better than it being incredibly cold or raining all of the time. 


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: stray on June 27, 2005, 06:23:58 PM
Btw, Rasix....Are you a Sun's fan?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Rasix on June 27, 2005, 07:07:49 PM
Btw, Rasix....Are you a Sun's fan?

Not really, until recently.  I don't follow the NBA much, and when I did it was during high school when I was a Bulls fan because my best friend was.

They're an amazing team to watch though.  And really, even when I wasn't a fan, they were a treat to go see live.  Only NBA team I really make a point to watch currently.   


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on June 27, 2005, 07:08:34 PM
There's a reason Ookiih and I hadn't heard of Cafe Lautrec.

Quote
Two decades ago, this bar was known as Cafe Lautrec, one of the most popular nightspots in the city. It was a crowded, grungy little dive, where local legend Johne Forges tap-danced his way across the bar top on weekends while a jazz band wailed away. Lautrec was the proverbial watering hole where no one cared what you did for a living, what you were wearing, who you were there with -- a rarity in Washington.

A dispute among the owners shuttered Cafe Lautrec in 1998, and set off a chain of events that left regulars confused and frustrated. Lautrec reopened in summer 2000 but closed soon after. The bar became Cafe Aristide, then closed again. Rechristened Cafe Toulouse in 2001, it closed two years later, sat vacant for a time, reopened and shut down late last year. (If the current incarnation isn't successful, what are the odds another restaurant will pop up as Cafe Bruant in a year or two?) Hoping to bring some stability is new owner Stoyan "Stan" Tzenkov, who until recently ran the neighborhood's Cafe Sofia -- a restaurant with a nod to his Bulgarian roots. Tzenkov says Sofia was doing well, but he wanted "something bigger, and this is on the main strip."

No longer the gritty little club Lautrec himself might have enjoyed, it's still a little rough around the edges -- notice the nicks in the walls? -- but the room has been dressed up with dark wood, flickering candles and simple wooden tables and chairs (though there are now white tablecloths at dinner).


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Llava on June 27, 2005, 11:21:33 PM
I think my brother's to blame for the electricity bill.  I put the thermostat up to 77 or 78, he keeps putting it down to 73.  I need to kick his ass and tell him to either deal with the heat or start paying the bill.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Pococurante on June 28, 2005, 08:05:04 AM
One thing about living in Arizona- suddenly temperatures in the 60s become intolerably cold.

I knew I had finally acclimated to Texas when while dirivng around with the windows down one day I started shivering and did a double-take on the readout showing 85 degrees...  :evil:


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Yegolev on June 28, 2005, 10:27:54 AM
The upper end of New Jersey (basically anything north of Newark) is incredibly beautiful.

What?  You must mean somewhere off the road from Newark Intl to Giants Stadium.  Way off the road.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Zephyr on June 28, 2005, 11:24:12 AM
The upper end of New Jersey (basically anything north of Newark) is incredibly beautiful.

What?  You must mean somewhere off the road from Newark Intl to Giants Stadium.  Way off the road.

There are some places in the northwest part of the state that made me think I had left Jersey, Sussex and parts of Warren/Morris counties to be exact.  I jog along the D&R canal now and used to jog along the boardwalk in Spring Lake when I lived at the shore, both very beautiful places in their own ways. 


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Yegolev on June 29, 2005, 12:22:08 PM
both very beautiful places in their own ways.

I bet she has a great personality, too.  Tell me if you think east Penn is beautiful, so I can properly gauge your tastes.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: MrHat on June 29, 2005, 12:24:50 PM
On a side note, I move to Baltimore in a few weeks.

From Westminster, CO. to White Marsh, MD.

Go me.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Viin on June 29, 2005, 12:47:38 PM
Bummer. Westminster is nice, especially the Jeffco side.  :-D


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ookii on June 29, 2005, 01:10:54 PM
On a side note, I move to Baltimore in a few weeks.

From Westminster, CO. to White Marsh, MD.

Go me.

Well at least you aren't in Baltimore Baltimore, man that totally sucks, I hope you know what you're in for (I would suggest quickly learning where to go and NOT GO in Baltimore before you start exploring).

Of course since I'm in Bethesda and schild is in College Park we should all go out drinking, preferably somewhere like Bill Batemans.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: MrHat on June 29, 2005, 01:20:09 PM
On a side note, I move to Baltimore in a few weeks.

From Westminster, CO. to White Marsh, MD.

Go me.

Well at least you aren't in Baltimore Baltimore, man that totally sucks, I hope you know what you're in for (I would suggest quickly learning where to go and NOT GO in Baltimore before you start exploring).

Of course since I'm in Bethesda and schild is in College Park we should all go out drinking, preferably somewhere like Bill Batemans.

I would, except my parents & bro and my fiancee's parents will be staying with us till about the 10th of August or so.

Why do I keep hearing that Baltimore sucks?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Yegolev on June 29, 2005, 01:23:36 PM
Why do I keep hearing that Baltimore sucks?

I didn't let my speed drop below 50mph anywhere in Maryland, and I could tell Baltimore sucked.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: MrHat on June 29, 2005, 01:38:03 PM
Why do I keep hearing that Baltimore sucks?

I didn't let my speed drop below 50mph anywhere in Maryland, and I could tell Baltimore sucked.

The question was Why.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on June 29, 2005, 05:44:19 PM
Because Baltimore is a giant ghetto with a 2x2block paradise in the dead center of it. There's nothing else to say other than the entire city is crap. Bethesda ain't too shabby. There are some really nice suburbs just north of Baltimore (mostly Jewish). But the city of Baltimore? It's a metropolitan abortion.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: MrHat on June 29, 2005, 09:04:37 PM
Then I should clarify that I'm not moving to Baltimore.

I'm moving to Maryland, and just happen to be North East of Baltimore.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on June 29, 2005, 09:59:29 PM
I went to Inner Harbor once.  It was nice.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on June 29, 2005, 10:02:02 PM
I went to Inner Harbor once.  It was nice.

Did you get in and out via harrier jet? Do you remember the surroundings? Were you shot at?

Are you writing us from a supercomputer on the other side?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on June 29, 2005, 10:03:34 PM
You are such a little smart ass.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on June 29, 2005, 10:15:54 PM
You are such a little smart ass.

At least I'm not a kitty on lettuce and cheese pressed between a toasted potato roll.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Llava on June 30, 2005, 12:47:20 AM
At least I'm not a kitty on lettuce and cheese pressed between a toasted potato roll.

Ooooooh, BURN!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on June 30, 2005, 07:27:54 AM
I've been having food dreams.

PS   I'm gonna kick your ass, Llava.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ezdaar on June 30, 2005, 08:06:59 AM
Bit late to the thread but I'm moving to Tempe at the end of the month from San Diego. I'm somewhat frightened at how many of you live in SoCal or Phoenix, I thought I had more of a buffer zone.

On a serious note though I'm amazed at how much cheaper everything is in Arizona. It's at least half as much as things in San Diego. I'll actually be able to live on what the university pays me.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: TheWalrus on June 30, 2005, 08:14:41 AM
Do they still have those specatacular locust and bee swarms in Az? Or was my childhood just blessed?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Yegolev on June 30, 2005, 08:23:20 AM
On a serious note though I'm amazed at how much cheaper everything is in Arizona. It's at least half as much as things in San Diego.

It's more like things in San Diego cost twice as much.  Then again, all of the heat and scorpions in AZ means there is a lot of unclaimed equipment laying around.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Merusk on June 30, 2005, 09:20:14 AM
For how many square feet of living space, and how many people using the shower?  Because I find it amazing that your water/ trash is less than just my water/ sewer in the middle of the midwest. (Without watering the lawn I add, as I sadly look at the brown mess it's becoming.)

1,595 of living space.  It's my house and my brother lives with me, just the two of us.  But then, he doesn't shower as much as a normal person...  So probably together, we count as 1.5 people in terms of shower use.

That's the difference then.  Not only are we a family of 4 --which with kids means a lot more laundry than adults-- but our house is 2,200sf.  Thanks for satisfying my curiosity.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ezdaar on June 30, 2005, 10:43:04 AM
So for those of you that live(d) in Arizona, just how many scorpions do you see regularly? Do they get in to the house a lot, and if so where do they tend to congregate? Does having a second floor dwelling help at all?

Snakes I don't mind, scorpions creep me out.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Yegolev on June 30, 2005, 12:15:53 PM
I saw a show on TV where they froze a scorpion in a block of ice for a few days, thawed it out with a propane torch, and the fucker was just fine.  If cockroaches want to inherit the world after a big nuke, they will need to do something about scorpions first.

Fallout rocked.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Llava on June 30, 2005, 12:18:38 PM
Whether or not you'll get scorpions depends entirely on where your house is built.

My current house, for example, I haven't seen a single scorpion for the year I've lived here.  I'm in a pretty flat area with a small ditch behind me.

Before that I was living at my parents' house which had a mountain to its back.  Scorpions were at least a monthly occurance.  More than once I'd be catassing away at my computer at 2am, wearing socks, and I'd look down and see a scorpion on the floor.  You just get used to it.  And as for being on the second floor, they could get up there no problem.  Hell, they climb walls.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Daeven on June 30, 2005, 01:40:48 PM
So for those of you that live(d) in Arizona, just how many scorpions do you see regularly? Do they get in to the house a lot, and if so where do they tend to congregate? Does having a second floor dwelling help at all?

Snakes I don't mind, scorpions creep me out.
None actually. It was the roving packs of Coyotes gave me pause...


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ezdaar on June 30, 2005, 01:45:00 PM
So for those of you that live(d) in Arizona, just how many scorpions do you see regularly? Do they get in to the house a lot, and if so where do they tend to congregate? Does having a second floor dwelling help at all?

Snakes I don't mind, scorpions creep me out.
None actually. It was the roving packs of Coyotes gave me pause...

I actually used to see coyotes a lot in San Diego, not so much now however. Cute little things, especially when they walk out on the runway and you're sitting in a plane ready to take off.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Llava on June 30, 2005, 02:04:47 PM
Oh yes, that's another thing to mention.

If you have small animals, watch them.  There's plenty of wildlife around here that'll come right to your front lawn for a snack if it's out there waiting to be snatched up.  Had a friend who lost one of his cats to some coyotes.  Wasn't pretty.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Shockeye on June 30, 2005, 02:08:16 PM
So for those of you that live(d) in Arizona, just how many scorpions do you see regularly? Do they get in to the house a lot, and if so where do they tend to congregate? Does having a second floor dwelling help at all?

Snakes I don't mind, scorpions creep me out.

I have yet to see a scorpion in Phoenix.

But then, I don't make a habit of looking for them.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Yegolev on June 30, 2005, 02:16:33 PM
I think if Llava and I alternate posts, it will look like Jack Sparrow and Al Leong are engaged in an intense debate.

I have coyotes, and I live in Georgia.  Helps keep my wife from becoming a cat lady.  We are down to one cat and one dog.  If I see a scorpion, though... time to get some illegal insecticides.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Furiously on June 30, 2005, 03:11:16 PM
Have black widows in Az too right? And dust storms? And car handles you cannot touch?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Llava on June 30, 2005, 03:22:48 PM
Black widows:

We have them, but I have seen so few since I've lived here that it's not a big deal for me.  As I understand it, they like to hang out in damp areas, so just avoid areas likely to be damp and you avoid the widows.

Dust storms:

Oh yeah.  Not "The Mummy" dust storms, but we have them.  Basically it just makes your car dirty.  Sometimes, very very rarely, it's thick enough that driving is slightly riskier.

Car door handles you cannot touch:

Nope, always able to open my car door.  The seatbelt on the other hand.... oh, and leather interiors are for suckers here.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on June 30, 2005, 03:25:29 PM
We have coyotes out here too, just on the outskirts of town. Had a friend with a big-balled orange Tom that actually survived a tussle with a coyote. Dang but that was one tough little fucker. Out here it's the brown recluses and hobo spiders that you have to watch out for. Our deadliest critter is the rough-skinned newt, and they're so damn docile that you pretty much hafta bite into one of 'em to get them to release their poison.

(http://www.salmoncreekflora-fauna.org/Amphibians/rough_skinned_newt.jpg)

They pretty much always look like they've just had a wake 'n bake. So cute!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Rasix on June 30, 2005, 03:28:15 PM
Have black widows in Az too right? And dust storms? And car handles you cannot touch?

Black widows give me the heebie jeebies.  Yah, we get those.  Had a huge one near a hose outside a month or two ago.  They're generally pretty reclusive, but you've just got to be careful around moist areas and when you clean your garage. 

Dust storms: check. Nothing bad or life threatening.  Hot hot cars: check.  Black isn't a big color here for vehicles.  Although really, any color car is going to hit max internal temperature if you leave it outside for half an hour.

I've had one scorpion at my house and that's it. I'm in an area that has a lot of desert but most of the major construction here ended around 5-8 years ago.  In areas with more recent construction you'll get more scorps.  Anyhow, I could be getting more, but my cats are pretty efficient killers.

We have a pack or two of coyotes living in my neighborhood.  You can hear them howl and night and burst into fits of yelp-laughs when they kill something.  I've only seen one and it was just jogging by the side of the road across the street.   They've never gotten my cats because my cats aren't outdoors without my supervision.  Through my yelling and scolding, they've gotten to know where they're allowed and not allowed to go.

When we got a new kitten, it was outside playing in the grass and a small hawk made a test swoop to see if it could grab him.  Kitten was fat enough and they hawk was small enough that it thought better of actually trying to make the grab. Scary though.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on June 30, 2005, 03:36:17 PM
When I was small we had a boxer who used to faint at the sight of raccoons.  It's true.  The first time he did it, we thought the raccoon killed him.  My grandfather was going to shoot the raccoon out of the tree but decided not to when the police showed up... a neighbour called them for some strange reason. 


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: OcellotJenkins on June 30, 2005, 04:00:47 PM
(http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/images/2061_2.jpg)

If you live within this zone:

(http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/images/2061_map.gif)

Odds are you have multiple brown recluse spiders living in your box springs matress.  They are more widespread than that map, but the red zone is pretty much a guarantee that you have them in your home.  Creepy little bastards rarely bite people but when they do it's nasty.

(http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/entfacts/images/brnreclusewound.jpg)

Fascinating creatures though.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on June 30, 2005, 05:40:38 PM
I got bit by one at camp one year when I was about 13. Talk about leaving yourself incapacitated. The bite was on the top of my foot. Needless to say:

It fucked shit up.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: OcellotJenkins on June 30, 2005, 07:56:32 PM
I got bit by one at camp one year when I was about 13. Talk about leaving yourself incapacitated. The bite was on the top of my foot. Needless to say:

It fucked shit up.

I'm curious, did you feel it and/or see it when it bit you?  I've heard the pain usually doesn't kick in until the poisonous rot sets in.



Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on June 30, 2005, 11:35:07 PM
Didn't see or feel it. Woke up with a tiny red mark. That stung like a motherfucker.

Itched and itched and itched.

Then things got twilight zoney. Apparently I have an incredible immune system, and whatever bullshit paste the hippie doctor on camp put on it seemed to work. I had one bad motherfucking welt for about a week. An open wound for only a day or so. And some of the worst pain money CAN'T buy.

My only advice, don't get bit by one. There are kids who have gotten bit and it's been much worse. I was damned lucky.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Pococurante on July 01, 2005, 08:33:28 AM
I'm curious, did you feel it and/or see it when it bit you?  I've heard the pain usually doesn't kick in until the poisonous rot sets in.

I never felt any pain on mine.  I was bit between the joints of my left hand's middle finger.  Skin died roughly in the shape of an oblong dime and stayed this rockhard slab for almost two months, then fell out and left nice shiny skin so thin you could make out the bone texture.  When I got back to the States my doctor said it was the first time he'd seen a recluse finger bite that didn't result in amputation.

Few people can rival me for spider stories - I seem to attract them.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on July 01, 2005, 08:36:19 AM
Few people can rival me for spider stories - I seem to attract them.

As do I, I should note, that when I mean open welt, for one day, it was much like Poco's, only you couldn't see the bone. There's no doubt that the cream the camp doctor put on my foot kept the skin moist so it never turned into a rock hard slap. Had the bite been on my hand, it would have no doubt been moist. Interestingly though, my foot swelled up in the area so much, I could barely get into flipflops.

I'm scared to death of spiders. Despite being bit by one of the worst. Ever.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Fargull on July 01, 2005, 08:52:50 AM
Pretty sure I had a recluse visit in early college.  Got a bite on my hip that turned into open wound about the size of my thumb and bled for about a week.  Like a crazy idiot, on the second day I soaked it in peroxide, which by the way was painful as fuck.  Had no clue about the recluse at that time and never went to the Doc, have a little scar there now.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: OcellotJenkins on July 01, 2005, 09:09:59 AM
Holy hell that sounds awful.

I've been using this shit (http://www.epinions.com/content_34122731140) in and around my house for the past four years and I've not seen a live spider...plenty of dead ones though.



Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Pococurante on July 01, 2005, 11:29:46 AM
Spiders I can live with.  Chiggers on the other hand...

/scritch-scritch


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 01, 2005, 12:20:14 PM
When I was a kid I stepped on a yellow jacket's nest and was stung all over my face and body, including my eyelids! I swelled up all over, and had to sit in a bath of cold water with meat tenderizer and baking soda to get the swelling down. But ever since then I have pretty much no reaction to bee stings, instead of going into anaphylaxis like most survivors of multiple stings would. Naw, it's mosquitos that really fuck me up. I get huge welts that feel hot to the touch whenever I get bit. And they usually go for the face.  :x


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Pococurante on July 01, 2005, 12:56:00 PM
GO FOR THE EYES, BOO, THE EYES!

Actually skeeters go for the sound mammalian ears give off too.  And women have noisier ears then men.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ookii on July 01, 2005, 02:10:46 PM
Odds are you have multiple brown recluse spiders living in your box springs matress.

Dude I fucking hate spiders more than anything else in this world, what is the backup for such a terrifying statement?

Don't make me buy one of those Swedish memory foam NASA approved mattresses.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: CmdrSlack on July 01, 2005, 02:31:16 PM
Odds are you have multiple brown recluse spiders living in your box springs matress.

Dude I fucking hate spiders more than anything else in this world, what is the backup for such a terrifying statement?

Don't make me buy one of those Swedish memory foam NASA approved mattresses.

My fear of spiders is why I've never seen any of the spider-based horror films.  I give not a shit if killing them is bad luck...that's why I kill one, then throw salt over my shoulder.

EDIT -- I bet those mattresses just provide a nice, ergonomic place for the little fuckers to hide, Ookii.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: OcellotJenkins on July 01, 2005, 03:44:51 PM
Odds are you have multiple brown recluse spiders living in your box springs matress.

Dude I fucking hate spiders more than anything else in this world, what is the backup for such a terrifying statement?

Don't make me buy one of those Swedish memory foam NASA approved mattresses.

I've read about the box springs thing in several state extension documents but unfortunately I was unable to find it after a quick google search.  I'll look again when I have more time.

Chiggers my God, I forgot about chiggers.  The last time I got a bad case of chiggers was outside of Houston TX on a work related trip.  I was more concerned with dodging fire ant hills but by the end of the day I had chiggers from my ankels up to just below my balls.  Sheer hell for 3 weeks.  I'll never live in TX for a variety of reasons but chiggers are pretty high on the list.

As far as stings go, the worst for me was something in the waters off the panhandle of florida when I was about 13 years old.  I swam out to a small sand bar to join some people thowing frisbee.  When my foot touched the bottom, something shot up my leg and execruiating pain set in.  It was all I could do to swim back to shore.  A life guard said it was either a jelly fish or a man-o-war and told me to put meat tenderizer on it.  You could see strings of stings reaching from my feet to my waste.  That was the most terrible pain I've ever experienced from a creature.  The meat tenderizer helped immensely though and the pain was under control in under an hour.

Concerning these scorpions in AZ, how big are the fuckers?  I'm envisioning them being at least 2 to 3 inches long, how the hell do they get in the house?  A friend of mine's mother got stung by one that had crawled into her shoes on the porch.  They barely got her to the emergency room in time.  She went into some sort of shock.  Luckily east TN is scorpion free...I think.

Critter stories are fun, eh!?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Merusk on July 01, 2005, 04:24:20 PM
Concerning these scorpions in AZ, how big are the fuckers?  I'm envisioning them being at least 2 to 3 inches long, how the hell do they get in the house?

The short version is, your house isn't nearly as 'sealed against the environment' as the average homeowner thinks and bugs can squeeze into some tiny ass spots.

The long version takes illustrations and makes the whole 'buy plastic and duct tape' thing that Homeland security said even more ludicrous.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on July 01, 2005, 05:38:19 PM
This thread makes my skin crawl.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 02, 2005, 05:03:30 PM
In some places people just release geckos (or other lizards) in their house to deal with crawlies. I think it would be so fun to have cute lil' lizards running all over my house and in my houseplants! Until I found their mutilated corpses and 4 cats with bloodied muzzles.  :cry:


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: TheWalrus on July 02, 2005, 11:16:57 PM
Lets open it up to countries!

 In spain they have something called a mole bug/ mole cricket. Hes a big fella bout the size of a mouse. Has what looks like miniature hairbrushes on his front feet. (harmless to people, sorry.) Anyhoo, I was on post middle of the night, and since nothing happens there, we used to feed things to the ants out back to entertain ourselves. And keep them from eating us. One of these guys stopped by the guard shack, and we had a new toy. We stepped on him, not to squish but just to hold him in place, and THE FUCKER PUSHED BACK.

 It was then that Insect Survivor was born. We chucked him in the middle of the ant colony and they swarmed him, but he used those little brushes to scoop the ants into his mouth. Eventually, they got him of course. Took em 5 hours to finally get his body torn apart and another half hour for the head to stop moving. Damn creepy. But fun!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Llava on July 03, 2005, 12:04:40 AM
If I recall correctly, and you will probably want to double check this, cats can take care of scorpions pretty well and have no problems with the venom.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Alkiera on July 03, 2005, 08:29:20 PM
Walrus, apparently Molecrickets are common around the Gulf of Mexico, here in the US, as well.  Picture provided by the Univ. of Florida...

Are these similar to what you had?
(http://www.pestproducts.com/mcrkts.jpg)



Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: TheWalrus on July 04, 2005, 12:25:42 AM
Thems the babys! Weird damn animals. I call them animals because they're huge. Huge like giant rhinocerous beetle huge.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Alkiera on July 04, 2005, 01:07:29 AM
I remember having Rhinocerous beetles at the summer camp I went to in the middle of Louisiana.  They were great fun to play with, and tease girls with.

Alkiera


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ironwood on July 04, 2005, 03:41:10 AM
Lets open it up to countries!

 

Man, I don't have anything that even approaches any of those stories.

Thank Fuck for That.

(Though the Highland Haggis is a terrifying wee creature.)



Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: NowhereMan on July 04, 2005, 07:19:36 AM
Living in the UK I also don't have any kind of horrifying animal story. The most poisonous insect in the UK is the Daddy Long-Legs and God didn't see fit to give it any way of actually delivering its poison, so its not much of a threat.

However after taking a Gap year in Vietnam I've learned never to complain about any kind of creepy-crawlies to Australians, it almost always results in, "That's nothing, you should see the spiders/snakes/pre-historic venomous dinosaurs we've got in Australia."

I did meet one guy who survived being bitten by a redback spider. He was in a swimming pool that the thing had fallen into when he was quite  young and the only reason he survived was the the spider uses gravity to get the poison into its victim. Obviously this didn't work so well underwater and upside down so he escaped with two fairly large puncture wounds on his foot.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 04, 2005, 08:53:32 AM
Haggis aren't so bad if you learn to stay on the side with the short legs.  It's the East London Wideboy Geezer that scares me the most.

Seems to me that the only bug problem in the UK are the ants.   They're everywhere and almost nothing seems to work against them.  They drive me mad!

Edit:  oops, sorry.  They drive me mad, yo!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ironwood on July 04, 2005, 09:14:12 AM
They're the ones with that lovely mating call ?  "Heeey, ya fackin caaaannntt."

Ahh, London wildlife.



Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: pants on July 04, 2005, 02:53:25 PM
Being an Australian - this is indeed where I pull out the my-creepy-crawlies-will-kick-your-creepy-crawlies-arse argument.

My personal favourite, is the Sydney Funnel Web spider (http://www.avru.unimelb.edu.au/avruweb/Fws.htm), arguably the most poisonous spider in the world, lives in a 100 kilometre radius of Sydney, and best of all, during mating season the males will come inside and are aggressive.  Little fuckers will jump and go for you.

If you want to go for a swim north of about Brisbane during summer (when its hot n stuff), no good, or you could die from the box jellyfish (http://www.barrierreefaustralia.com/the-great-barrier-reef/jellyfish.htm) which will give you a fatal sting from its tentacles.

Or if you play in the rockpools near the beach, the pretty looking blue ringed octopus (http://www.schools.ash.org.au/knoxgardens/octopus.htm) which is quite small and as the name implies, has pretty blue rings.  It also has a deadly bite.

Ironically sharks arent a very big concern - theyre getting hunted too badly people are starting to talk about preservation schemes for them.

Snakes also arent nearly as scary - we have something like 5 out of the top 10 deadly snakes  (http://www.reptile-gardens.com/reptile/topten.html) in the world, but snakes are scardy cats, and so its not too hard to scare em off, or just plain not see em in the first place.  Just keep the dog away from em.

At least our insects are relatively benign - worst we have are mosquitoes passing a painful fever (http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/cdscu/facts/pdf/rossriver.pdf).

Its all fun n games down here.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: MrHat on July 04, 2005, 03:59:00 PM
(http://forums.ort.org.il/files/30/1971637/5185620.jpg)

The one on the bottom is eating the one on the top.

Camping in Saudi.  *shudder*  Boyscizzouts 4 life yo!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Teleku on July 04, 2005, 04:40:24 PM
AHHHH!  AHHHH! AHHHH! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 04, 2005, 04:49:41 PM
Look what you've done to poor Teleku.

I don't care what the truth is, I refuse to believe those are real bugs.  I'm leaving this thread now and I don't think I'll be back.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: TheWalrus on July 04, 2005, 05:18:43 PM
  I'VE SEEN THOSE! I don't know what the hell they are, but when I was in Kuwait, those goddamn things come out of the sand at night and THEY WILL CHASE YOU! Especially if you run! I managed to get one back into its lil hole in the sand and I plunged my field knife into it about 15 times. Then I had to dig it up to make sure it was dead. \shiver


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Trippy on July 04, 2005, 06:02:53 PM
  I'VE SEEN THOSE! I don't know what the hell they are, but when I was in Kuwait, those goddamn things come out of the sand at night and THEY WILL CHASE YOU! Especially if you run! I managed to get one back into its lil hole in the sand and I plunged my field knife into it about 15 times. Then I had to dig it up to make sure it was dead. \shiver
How big are those things? The perspective and cropping is kind of screwy in that pic so it's hard to tell the size. They could be as "little" as a human fist or as large as a human thigh from that angle.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Roac on July 04, 2005, 06:12:51 PM
How big are those things? The perspective and cropping is kind of screwy in that pic so it's hard to tell the size. They could be as "little" as a human fist or as large as a human thigh from that angle.

Camel Spiders, a few inches (up to 4 or 5) across.  They aren't poisonous and technically aren't spiders, though are arachnid.  Close enough for me though.  They (and that picture in particular) were part of internet urban rumor a few years ago about the horrors our troops were suffering.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Merusk on July 04, 2005, 08:12:02 PM
How big are those things? The perspective and cropping is kind of screwy in that pic so it's hard to tell the size. They could be as "little" as a human fist or as large as a human thigh from that angle.


The palm of the guy holding them is in the upper right. He's using some kind of clamps, which you can see holding onto the legs of the spider at the top center of the picture.   Sooo, still to big for comfort.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on July 04, 2005, 08:15:38 PM
Any bug that takes more than half a bite to eat is too big for comfort. I learned that when one of my old cats through up half a bug while about to eat the other half.

Those spiders. Way too fucking big. Way too fucking ugly. But thankfully, they are somewhere, god willing, I will never, ever, ever be.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ironwood on July 05, 2005, 01:28:00 AM
Insert Stupid Ass Comment About The Draft Here.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: ClydeJr on July 05, 2005, 08:41:30 AM
If you want to go for a swim north of about Brisbane during summer (when its hot n stuff), no good, or you could die from the box jellyfish (http://www.barrierreefaustralia.com/the-great-barrier-reef/jellyfish.htm) which will give you a fatal sting from its tentacles.
Quote from: that article pants linked
Venom

You have virtually no chance of surviving the venomous sting, unless treated immediately. The pain is so excruciating and overwhelming that you would most likely go into shock and drown before reaching the shore. So don't go swimming alone! Be sure to know the first aid procedures.
In other words, you get stung, you're crab food.

Last December, my wife brought a flower box that was hanging on our balcony inside so she could water it. She set it in tub, watered it, and left it for a while. When she came back, the tub was crawling with about 30 of these suckers:
(http://insects.tamu.edu/images/insects/common/images/cd-45-a/Img0065.jpg)
They're not dangerous (unless you're a tomato plant) but just creepy looking as hell. They were hibernating in the flower box over the winter and when she watered it, they woke up. The wife was quite creeped out about the whole thing.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 05, 2005, 08:52:48 AM
Thems the babys! Weird damn animals. I call them animals because they're huge. Huge like giant rhinocerous beetle huge.

Insects are animals.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Pococurante on July 05, 2005, 09:11:12 AM
... the only reason he survived was the the spider uses gravity to get the poison into its victim. Obviously this didn't work so well underwater and upside down so he escaped with two fairly large puncture wounds on his foot.

It might have been a male. (http://www.austmus.gov.au/factsheets/redback.htm)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ookii on July 05, 2005, 09:36:18 AM
(http://forums.ort.org.il/files/30/1971637/5185620.jpg)

The one on the bottom is eating the one on the top.

Camping in Saudi.  *shudder*  Boyscizzouts 4 life yo!

As previously noted, I FUCKING HATE SPIDERS, but I also am sadly interested in them so I did a quick google on those 'camel spiders'.  Basically all of interest that I found is that the photograph depicted above is a study in perspective, those things look big as can be at first glance, but if you put them into perspective with the sleeve of the guy holding them, they become much smaller (which for me is a good thing).

I can now check off giant spiders on my list of things to worry about, that is until about August around here.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Roac on July 05, 2005, 09:48:49 AM
Those spiders. Way too fucking big. Way too fucking ugly. But thankfully, they are somewhere, god willing, I will never, ever, ever be.

They exist in North America as well, from Mexico up to the border with Canada, with concetrations in arid regions.  Or at least their close relatives (Order solifugae) do.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Bunk on July 05, 2005, 10:17:20 AM
Fucking Christ, this thread made my skin crawl. I don't think I'm coming back because I know someone is going to repost that damn spider pick on every page.

Have I ever mentioned that I love living in the Pacific Northwest? Hmm, lets see, what bad things do we have here?

Coyotes? yep, lots in my old neighbourhood. My dogs out weighed em by about 5x, so no worries. Kinda cute.
Spiders? Yick. None poisonous though, biggest being our wolf spiders, find em in woodpiles - about an inch across.
Snakes? Garters - harmless and cute. Some rattlers in the interior - never seen one. I like snakes.

No scorpions, or crazy flesh melting spiders, or poisonous newts or frogs, or baby snakes that can kill 20 grown men. No tornados, no locusts, no tsunamis, no big sharks, no flood plains, and we consider a 4.5 a major earthquake.

I love where I live.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: MrHat on July 05, 2005, 10:25:58 AM
Ookii, perspective be damned, the one I saw was bigger than my feet.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Pococurante on July 05, 2005, 10:31:16 AM
No scorpions, or crazy flesh melting spiders, or poisonous newts or frogs, or baby snakes that can kill 20 grown men. No tornados, no locusts, no tsunamis, no big sharks, no flood plains, and we consider a 4.5 a major earthquake.

(http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/archive/hall-of-fame/images/20040924-referenceb-lg.jpg)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Roac on July 05, 2005, 10:31:37 AM
No scorpions, or crazy flesh melting spiders, or poisonous newts or frogs, or baby snakes that can kill 20 grown men.

Solifugae are found in the Pacific Northwest.  Here is a picture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Wind_scorpion2.JPG) of one from eastern Washington.  It's also home to various species of rattlesnake (depending on exactly where you are), which live in every state in the continental US except Maine and Delaware.  

Sleep tight :)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Bunk on July 05, 2005, 10:40:21 AM
Never seen a scorpion. I live in Vancouver, which is a port city, so we are a good four hour drive from the desert (which is also where the rattlers are).

Unlike in Australia, most people survive getting bit by a snake up here.

And oh yes, good old Mount St. Helens. Blew up on my birthday, 1980. We felt it as a mild tremor. Too far to ever be a real threat.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: WayAbvPar on July 05, 2005, 10:46:25 AM
Quote
no big sharks

I think this qualifies... (http://www.komotv.com/news/story.asp?ID=21997)

There are probably big sharks, but the water is fucking cold to spend much time in, so no one sees them =)



Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Pococurante on July 05, 2005, 10:56:40 AM
"Candygram..." (http://snltranscripts.jt.org/75/75djaws2.phtml)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: kaid on July 05, 2005, 11:06:05 AM
Thankfully Wisconsin has little truly nasty critters. I think in the far south western part of the state you can get some rattlers but they are super rare. As for nasty bugs I think the worst we have is probably the brown recluse spider which won't kill ya but it will probably make you wish it had.

Well I guess I should mention the most vicious creature that kills more humans every year in our state than anything else.

The evil nasty white tailed deer. Yup we have so many of the buggers more folks buy it when they run into them on the highway than any creepy crawly. The big problem is there are lots of them and mother deer will sometimes try to "lure" the nasty predatory cars away by freaking jumping right infront of them to protect their fawns.

I have never run into a deer myself but we had a deer jump and bounce off the side of our car once. We were most of the way past it when it freaking just jumped at the car and bounced off the side. I doubt it got hurt as it shot off into the woods fast enough and didn't damage the car but damn that freaked me out.

Its also kind of errie at night in late summer early fall driving down the road at night and just seeing the roads lined with glowing eyes of deer waiting to make you crash your car.

kaid


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: ClydeJr on July 05, 2005, 11:32:58 AM
They exist in North America as well, from Mexico up to the border with Canada, with concetrations in arid regions.  Or at least their close relatives (Order solifugae) do.
A whole website dedicated to the cute things. (http://www.solpugid.com/index.htm) In particular, the families Ammotrechidae (http://www.solpugid.com/ammotrechidae.htm) and Eremobatidae (http://www.solpugid.com/eremobatidae.htm) live in the U.S. southwest, including Arizona.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ookii on July 05, 2005, 11:35:12 AM
Ookii, perspective be damned, the one I saw was bigger than my feet.

Can't you just let me live in my fantasy world of denial?

If the threat of quick highly aggressive foot long spiders ever becomes a concern of mine, I'm buying a gun and getting a concealed weapons permit.

EDIT:

A whole website dedicated to the cute things. In particular, the families Ammotrechidae and Eremobatidae live in the U.S. southwest, including Arizona.

Did I mention I hate all you people.

Scratch the gun idea, I'm just going to hire some Mexican kid to get rid of any bugs that come near me, I mean the border is only four hours away.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Shockeye on July 05, 2005, 11:52:18 AM
I'm buying a gun and getting a concealed weapons permit.

Very easy to do in AZ. Plus you can take your gun almost anywhere.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: TheWalrus on July 05, 2005, 10:47:21 PM
(http://triffophoto3.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/theraphosa100_1202db3jrt.jpg)

More spidery goodness!
Thems the babys! Weird damn animals. I call them animals because they're huge. Huge like giant rhinocerous beetle huge.

Insects are animals.

Gosh, thanks for clarifying. And yet, we still use the term insect to describe some spindly thing that we throw massive amounts of chemicals on to kill. Being picky for pickys sake...whoop dee do.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: SuperPopTart on July 07, 2005, 03:04:45 PM
I am not sure how many of you are familiar with mississippi bugs but let me extend a small picture of what waddles it's way around here..

(http://www.pestproducts.com/images/asian.jpg)

and

(http://www.critterridders.com/brown_recluse1.jpg)



Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 07, 2005, 03:32:00 PM
Gosh, thanks for clarifying. And yet, we still use the term insect to describe some spindly thing that we throw massive amounts of chemicals on to kill. Being picky for pickys sake...whoop dee do.

Aw, don't be such a grumpy pinniped.  :-P I wasn't being picky. Some people actually don't think that arthropods are animals. I very rarely get to have my underoos in a bunch over something I actually know anything about.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 07, 2005, 03:36:48 PM
This is my hand, placed near the garden spider for scale. Pretty thing. I thought it was dead, 'cuz it was sitting perfectly still, and I thought, "Sweet! I can take it home and add it to my collection!" But then it started moving. Oh, boo. I have a collection of mounted insects from around the world. And one tarantula.

(http://myspace-861.vo.llnwd.net/00021/16/88/21118861_l.JPG)

And ftr: I have relatively large hands for a woman. My span is 8" (pinky to thumb)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Rasix on July 07, 2005, 03:43:06 PM
Quote
And ftr: I have relatively large hands for a woman. My span is 8" (pinky to thumb)

Could be worse..

(http://www.opaquelucidity.com/Uma.jpg)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Hanzii on July 07, 2005, 03:44:09 PM
If you want to go for a swim north of about Brisbane during summer (when its hot n stuff), no good, or you could die from the box jellyfish (http://www.barrierreefaustralia.com/the-great-barrier-reef/jellyfish.htm) which will give you a fatal sting from its tentacles.

When I went to Australia I told my companions, that I refused to go in the water unless I had an Australian in plain sight directly in front of me.
The on this one hot day in Airlee Beach we had a pristine beach to ourselves and my friends talked me into going in.
When we returned, it turned out that the big ass poster, we thought was some advert and put our towels and clothes by, was the sign informing that the beach was closed and telling who to call and how to do CPR while you waited for the ambulance...

I've been less than 2 meters from the jaws of a Great White Shark... and it's still the Aussie creepy crawlies that gives me nightmares.

I killed one of these suckers,

(http://www.anti-matter.co.za/The_World_Up_Close/640x426/Spider_06.jpg)

which was the size of my hand, and on the pillow of the girl I was staying with in a hut in a wildlife park in South Africa... only to find out, that Africa didn't really have any dangerous spiders - it was the carjackers and the hippos I should worry about.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: naum on July 07, 2005, 04:16:25 PM
Have lived in Arizona for nearly 20 years, in Glendale, AZ for the last 7, Phoenix and Tempe before that.

Some notes for newcomers:

* Housing prices have recently escalated madly, doubling if not tripling in some locales. Still, it's cheaper than CA and you get a decent home on the outskirts for an affordable price.

* Tempe/S. Scottsdale is where the nightlife is, though I'm pleased to live on the outskirts of N. Glendale desert and mountains are just to the north of me, along with the coyotes, coydogs and rattlesnakes.

* Scorpions are clustered in certain areas, NE Scottsdale (NE of Phoenix) mostly, but some other mountain sides also but if you look at color coded map of infestation, NE Scottsdale has the bright color. Nothing you can do about it except get a cat or two (rumor has it cats are immune to scorpion venom). Scorpion bites may be lethal/critical or not, depending on your allergic reaction.

* Where I'm at, rattlesnakes are spotted too.

* Killer bees can be a horrific problem for some. IF you are attacked by killer bees DON'T jump into your swimming pool, they'll converge on your head when you surface and you will die as individuals in Cave Creek and other Valley locales tragically discovered. Not a frequent everyday occurence, but at least once a month there is an killer bee incident where someone gets stung a lot badly, though at times they get injured running away into traffic or twisting their ankle as a recent Phoenician golf course out of state tourist experienced.

* The place to go in Mexico is not Nogales (well, unless your only interest is cheap pharmaceuticals), but Rocky Point, a 4 or 5 hour drive where you can vacation at a sweet beach spot, eat on the cheap, but do take pains to stay out of a Mexican jail, as concepts of rights and justice there are a tad different than in the States...

* I have a grass yard, and it makes things so much cooler in the summer. Rocks, concrete, asphalt absorb heat and make it really unpleasant hot even in the evening. Before the concrete jungle totally enveloped the area, you could drive a few minutes and feel the coolness difference. Many lawn owners seed rye grass in winter but lazy sorts like me just let the Bermuda die off in the winter (which means you'll need to do the chemical thing in the spring to ward off weeds - or occupy every weekend pulling them manually).

* Mid-July to Mid-September (thought it can vary) is the monsoon season where many late afternoons are visited by dust storms, lightning storms (lightning storm in the desert is a visual treat, as many here can probably attest to), thunderstorms, mini-squall bursts and other sporadic intervals of inclement weather. Sometimes it even extends to early morning/days where the temperature then dips into the 80s or below.

* Restaurants of every type simply suck except Mexican where you have your pick of excellent fare (and not so excellent fare). When they were building the railroads in the old west, I think they lined up all the Chinese dudes who couldn't cook and sent them to Phoenix.

* In the 110+ degree summer heat, many take refuge in the mountains a short 1 1/2 - 2 hour drive north - into Sedona, Payson, Prescott (yea, Whiskey Row!), etc...

* Oak Creek Canyon > Grand Canyon. Route 89A from Flagstaff to Sedona is spectacular, a 5K drop/rise in elevation over a 15 minute stretch.

* We like guns.

* It's a spreadout metrolipolitan area like no other in the world I think — it can take 50-75 miles to go from one corner to the other (i.e., Sun City/Surprise in NW to Gilbert/Queen Creek in SE). If you believe in "Peak Oil", settling in this area may not be the best lifestyle move for you…


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: naum on July 07, 2005, 04:25:57 PM
Couple more things:

* Avoid flat roofs. Guaranteed you will have to get a new roof in the time span you occupy the dwelling.

* Utilities arn't too bad if (a) you have modern AC gear (i.e., older compressors are very energy intensive and will cost $300  a month or more in summer), (b) supplement regular AC with swamp (evaporative) cooler - even in the summer, we spend < $200 a month and we like it cool (78 degrees or lower).



Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: WayAbvPar on July 07, 2005, 04:55:43 PM
Quote
(rumor has it cats are immune to scorpion venom)

Not so sure about that (http://petplace.netscape.com/Articles/artShow.asp?artID=2751).

However, meercats (http://animalreviews.zelica.net/reviews/meercat.htm) are immune.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: SuperPopTart on July 07, 2005, 05:22:30 PM
Oh, boo. I have a collection of mounted insects from around the world. And one tarantula.
You are scaring me :(


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 07, 2005, 06:06:44 PM
Oh, boo. I have a collection of mounted insects from around the world. And one tarantula.
You are scaring me :(

I think she's a biologist, so it's ok.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: SuperPopTart on July 07, 2005, 07:43:20 PM
It's never okay to own buggy things with sticks in them.

Never ever.

Think Dawn of the Dead meets Arachnaphobia.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 07, 2005, 07:48:01 PM
They're just mounted onto cotton in picture frames. No sticks. Although I do have a giant walking stick insect. She's 7" long and is from India. I call her Sally.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: SuperPopTart on July 07, 2005, 07:49:08 PM
They're just mounted onto cotton in picture frames. No sticks. Although I do have a giant walking stick insect. She's 7" long and is from India. I call her Sally.

...

Voodoolily :( You poor thing. Buglady.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 07, 2005, 07:53:37 PM
Naw, it's not like that. You know when people usta keep big frames of butterflies and shit like that? My house looks like a natural history museum. It's cool, especially with all my skulls and African sculpture.

(http://www.btinternet.com/~aero/bugmap2.jpg)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on July 07, 2005, 07:55:43 PM
What's wrong with you? Get some stuffed animals in a net over the corner of your room and stop creeping me out.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 07, 2005, 08:01:16 PM
...'cuz girls are only 'sposta like teddy bears?

Speaking of which, did you ever check out this site (http://michaelpaulus.com/gallery/character-Skeletons)?

(http://michaelpaulus.com/albums/character-Skeletons/pikachu_1.jpg)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Merusk on July 07, 2005, 08:16:15 PM
That site is fantastic.

Well, except for Shmoo.  Shmoo has no skeleton, as everyone knows.  They're just a gigantic amoeba.

Voodoo's decor almost makes up for that whole 'not wanting to speak English' thing.  Almost.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 07, 2005, 08:31:29 PM
That artist is from Portland and his shit was up at my favorite coffee shop awhile ago.

I just took a bunch of snaps of my skulls 'n stuff and am posting them on my blog now. They'll be up in a few moments. I wanted to get pics of my bugs, but the glare from the flash ruined it. I'll try in the daylight tomorrow.

Hey, why am I the only one who types phonetically anyway?  :-P


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: stray on July 07, 2005, 08:51:15 PM
Have you've ever been to Roc La Rue (http://www.roqlarue.com/frame/frm-opener.html)? It's up in Seattle. I think he's been showcased there. Lots of cool artists you might like (i.e. Pop Surrealism, etc..).


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 07, 2005, 09:09:43 PM
Never been there, but I dig the pop surrealism (and graphic illustration in general). Thanks for the link.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Merusk on July 08, 2005, 10:13:30 AM
That Owl skull looks more like a Hawk from the photo, small as it is.  The eyes look to be too far apart and more to the side of the head than the front.  So are you finding just the skulls, or hauling dead poodles and muskrats around like your horsehead story implies.

Also, I find it disturbing that you found a 'mostly decayed' horsehead near where you parked in any instance.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 08, 2005, 11:14:40 AM
No, I didn't say "mostly decayed" I said "nearly completely clean", which means I only had to scrub off a little dried horse hair and dirt, although horses have very greasy meat, evidently. I had to soak it in hot, soapy bleach water to get the oil stains out (I was doing field work near a farm - some other bones were there, too, but no the whole skeleton). Usually when I find skulls they still have moss and little beetles rattling around in the cranium and I end up having to bag them and leave them outside so the little buggers can finish their work. Usually I only keep the skulls, although usually the rest of the bones have been scattered by scavengers. Sometimes you'll find just a leg bone and some ribs. I would just throw the skulls in the back of my vest and take 'em home.

Finding dead animals in the woods is NEVER as chilling and creepy as finding, say, a teddy bear next to a bunch of beer cans. /shudder


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Daeven on July 08, 2005, 11:51:52 AM
Fucking Christ, this thread made my skin crawl. I don't think I'm coming back because I know someone is going to repost that damn spider pick on every page.

Have I ever mentioned that I love living in the Pacific Northwest? Hmm, lets see, what bad things do we have here?

Coyotes? yep, lots in my old neighbourhood. My dogs out weighed em by about 5x, so no worries. Kinda cute.
Spiders? Yick. None poisonous though, biggest being our wolf spiders, find em in woodpiles - about an inch across.
Snakes? Garters - harmless and cute. Some rattlers in the interior - never seen one. I like snakes.

No scorpions, or crazy flesh melting spiders, or poisonous newts or frogs, or baby snakes that can kill 20 grown men. No tornados, no locusts, no tsunamis, no big sharks, no flood plains, and we consider a 4.5 a major earthquake.

I love where I live.
Hmmm. Now where did I put that pyoclastic flow diagram for Mt Raineer. The one that goes through Olympia, Tacoma, etc....


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 08, 2005, 12:22:41 PM

Fucking Christ, this thread made my skin crawl. I don't think I'm coming back because I know someone is going to repost that damn spider pick on every page.

Have I ever mentioned that I love living in the Pacific Northwest? Hmm, lets see, what bad things do we have here?

Coyotes? yep, lots in my old neighbourhood. My dogs out weighed em by about 5x, so no worries. Kinda cute.
Spiders? Yick. None poisonous though, biggest being our wolf spiders, find em in woodpiles - about an inch across.
Snakes? Garters - harmless and cute. Some rattlers in the interior - never seen one. I like snakes.

No scorpions, or crazy flesh melting spiders, or poisonous newts or frogs, or baby snakes that can kill 20 grown men. No tornados, no locusts, no tsunamis, no big sharks, no flood plains, and we consider a 4.5 a major earthquake.

I love where I live.

Bunk, we do have poisonous newts. The pic I posted is of the commonest newt in the PNW (and the deadliest animal we have). But, like I said earlier, they're so laid-back that they don't release their poison unless you like chaw on 'em or something. And where were you in 1996? The Great Flood of '96 is one we'll be telling our kids about for generations. Most of our wetlands are floodplain wetlands (which is why we rarely have devastating floods, but still).

But yes, we have it pretty damn good here. As long as our volcanoes keep their mouths shut, we'll be fine.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Bunk on July 11, 2005, 09:42:46 AM

Bunk, we do have poisonous newts. The pic I posted is of the commonest newt in the PNW (and the deadliest animal we have). But, like I said earlier, they're so laid-back that they don't release their poison unless you like chaw on 'em or something. And where were you in 1996? The Great Flood of '96 is one we'll be telling our kids about for generations. Most of our wetlands are floodplain wetlands (which is why we rarely have devastating floods, but still).

But yes, we have it pretty damn good here. As long as our volcanoes keep their mouths shut, we'll be fine.

I do remember that flood in '96, I can remember the TV footage of people rowing canoes past thier roofs, but it didn't effect us up here in Vancouver.  I've never seen a flood beyond a couple feet deep here, and only in very limited areas. We occasionally have the odd mudslide issues, but those are usually in North Vancouver where all the rich folk live, so who really cares.

Daeven: still would have to go a long ways past Tacoma to reach us.  Baker blowing up might be a problem though - would ruin our southern view. :P


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Lanei on July 11, 2005, 06:08:05 PM
* We like guns.

Speaking of which, if anyone wants to go shooting sometime...

My boss and I are both members of Scottsdale Gun Club (http://scottsdalegunclub.com/), with guest passes available.  Plus there is Ben Avery (http://www.basfaz.com/) up a little north of Phoenix on I-17.  Or if you are really not into spending cash on anything but ammo, we know a few spots out in the desert, and we have a history of using (http://twisted.nfshost.com/images/TheVictims.jpg) suitable (http://twisted.nfshost.com/images/TheCorpse.jpg) targets (http://twisted.nfshost.com/images/357didnt.jpg).  Video, 4.8 MB (http://twisted.nfshost.com/videos/monitor.mpg)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on July 11, 2005, 07:08:12 PM
* We like guns.

Speaking of which, if anyone wants to go shooting sometime...

My boss and I are both members of Scottsdale Gun Club (http://scottsdalegunclub.com/), with guest passes available.  Plus there is Ben Avery (http://www.basfaz.com/) up a little north of Phoenix on I-17.  Or if you are really not into spending cash on anything but ammo, we know a few spots out in the desert, and we have a history of using (http://twisted.nfshost.com/images/TheVictims.jpg) suitable (http://twisted.nfshost.com/images/TheCorpse.jpg) targets (http://twisted.nfshost.com/images/357didnt.jpg).  Video, 4.8 MB (http://twisted.nfshost.com/videos/monitor.mpg)

I don't know how far that is from Glendale. But I'm game. I do hate guns outside of gunclubs though.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on July 11, 2005, 07:08:40 PM
Ya know, given all the people that live in Arizona. We should have a gettogether of sorts every few months.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 12, 2005, 10:16:34 AM
But then you might find out that you're all not as witty and charming in real life as you are when you have time to think and google between responses.  :evil:

Don't mind me, I just feel left out.  :cry:


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: WayAbvPar on July 12, 2005, 10:19:34 AM
If you can get to Seattle, we can do a PNW gettogether. Between you and my wife, our party will definitely have the best food!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Yegolev on July 12, 2005, 03:00:18 PM
Bunk, we do have poisonous newts.

(http://www.humorlinks.com/python/pictures/grail/villager.jpg)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 12, 2005, 03:19:58 PM
S-child made V-Lily cry.   :cry:


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 12, 2005, 09:40:45 PM
Aw, Signe! You're so sweet and empathic. Now I'm gonna cry again.  :cry:

Now I'm happy! It's my birthday (on the east coast, anyways)!  :-D


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 13, 2005, 03:20:16 AM
On the 22nd of this month, I will not be having a birthday yet again.   8-)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: stray on July 13, 2005, 03:33:26 AM
On the 22nd of this month, I will not be having a birthday yet again.   8-)

Err...So does that mean you're a homebody too?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 13, 2005, 03:49:08 AM
Are you threatening me?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: stray on July 13, 2005, 04:02:33 AM
Are you threatening me?

Hmm.....That depends on how you look at it, I guess.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: HaemishM on July 13, 2005, 08:39:14 AM
On the 22nd of this month, I will not be having a birthday yet again.   8-)

Your not-birthday is the same as my wedding anniversary.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 13, 2005, 10:18:05 AM
On the 22nd of this month, I will not be having a birthday yet again.   8-)

Your not-birthday is the same as my wedding anniversary.

Cool.  We should exchange gifts.  My birthstone is ruby and your anniversary is... what?... paper?  I think I can manage to send you some of that!   :-)



Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: HaemishM on July 13, 2005, 12:07:39 PM
Just as long as the paper isn't toilet, and you'll accept fake rubies...


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 13, 2005, 12:13:19 PM
Fake rubies are the perfect gift for a not-birthday!



Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: WayAbvPar on July 13, 2005, 01:32:46 PM
Just as long as the paper isn't toilet, and you'll accept fake rubies...

You could get her fake bewbies instead. Fun for the whole family!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Shockeye on July 13, 2005, 01:40:39 PM
Just as long as the paper isn't toilet, and you'll accept fake rubies...

You could get her fake bewbies instead. Fun for the whole family!

Fun for the whole family, indeed. (http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=3920.0)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Shockeye on July 14, 2005, 12:36:58 PM
schild and Ookii are going to be in Phoenix Saturday night and I'm thinking we should all try to meet up somewhere. Downtown Phoenix, or Desert Sky area would probably be a good area to aim for since their hotel will be between those two areas.

Does anyone have any ideas as to where a good spot would be for dinner and debauchery?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 14, 2005, 12:39:08 PM
I figured out why everyone is moving to Arizona.

Pervs (http://denofiniquityaz.com/)



Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Llava on July 14, 2005, 12:51:59 PM
I figured out why everyone is moving to Arizona.

Pervs (http://denofiniquityaz.com/)



Where do you think Shockeye got the name for the Den?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Samwise on July 14, 2005, 12:54:27 PM
I figured out why everyone is moving to Arizona.

Pervs (http://denofiniquityaz.com/)



HAHAHA, it has sound effects!  Awesome.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ezdaar on July 14, 2005, 04:28:49 PM
I'll be in Tempe after August 1st if you all are alive and wanting to meet more people after you get together the first time.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Rasix on July 14, 2005, 04:38:27 PM
schild and Ookii are going to be in Phoenix Saturday night and I'm thinking we should all try to meet up somewhere. Downtown Phoenix, or Desert Sky area would probably be a good area to aim for since their hotel will be between those two areas.

Does anyone have any ideas as to where a good spot would be for dinner and debauchery?

I'd come up and say "hi" but the new Harry Potter will be arriving Saturday.  Sadly yes, I am serious.  (Well, I'd come up if I wasn't also going on vacation on the 22nd)

The Teepee Tap Room is a place my parents go to when they attend baseball games at BoB.  Might not be a bad place to drink some beer and eat Mexican food.  If you could make it down to Tempe, there's a place called Four Peaks that has great food and an awesome microbrew called Kilt Lifter.



Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Shockeye on July 14, 2005, 05:17:34 PM
I guess there's always Seamus' place. I'm looking for something with a slightly higher quality of food, though.

If you wanted to come up Sunday or Monday, that'd work as well.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 14, 2005, 06:19:42 PM
I love Harry Potter so much.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on July 14, 2005, 06:23:13 PM
I can not believe that Raistlin as a whiny little prepubescent twat is being chosen over me. :heartbreak:


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Strazos on July 14, 2005, 06:26:56 PM
On the 22nd of this month, I will not be having a birthday yet again.   8-)

Well then, A Very Merry Unbirthday, To You!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 14, 2005, 06:30:39 PM
I can not believe that Raistlin as a whiny little prepubescent twat is being chosen over me. :heartbreak:

(http://www.axewound.com/images/funnay/wahmbulance.jpg)

(and thank you, Strazos.  I accept your apology)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Strazos on July 14, 2005, 06:46:51 PM
(and thank you, Strazos.  I accept your apology)

....What did I apologize for?

I APOLOGIZE FOR NOTHING!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on July 14, 2005, 06:59:28 PM
The first time you complain about something, it isn't whining.

Just like the first time your mom tells you to clean your room it isn't nagging.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 14, 2005, 08:15:06 PM
The first time you complain about something, it isn't whining.

Just like the first time your mom tells you to clean your room it isn't nagging.

You just make stuff up!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on July 14, 2005, 08:32:40 PM
You must have me confused with yourself.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 14, 2005, 08:39:58 PM
That is SO not true. I always say the truth.  Really.  I do. 

Harry Potter is the Shnoozle.  (or what ever that word is that means cool)

And stop posting in threads none of us NORMAL people can post in.  It's wrong.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on July 14, 2005, 09:02:56 PM
But it feels so right.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: CmdrSlack on July 15, 2005, 07:50:30 AM
The first time you complain about something, it isn't whining.

Just like the first time your mom tells you to clean your room it isn't nagging.

You and I must have different moms then.  My mom can make even a "first request" into nagging if she wishes.  I think it's her papist-fu myself.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 15, 2005, 08:20:39 AM
(and thank you, Strazos.  I accept your apology)

....What did I apologize for?

I APOLOGIZE FOR NOTHING!

Oops... I didn't see this.  I forgive you.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Shockeye on July 15, 2005, 09:51:01 AM
Ok, now the morons guys are staying over in Scottsdale. I'll post tomorrow afternoon where we're going Saturday night.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Shockeye on July 19, 2005, 01:27:34 PM
Quote from: AZ Republic
Heat death toll hits 11 (http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0719HeatDeaths19-ON.html)

Republic staff, wire reports
Jul. 19, 2005 11:00 AM

Eleven deaths in Phoenix are being blamed on a heat wave that has hammered the Valley with searing temperatures and days of excessive-heat warnings. All but two of the victims were homeless people. The other two were elderly women.

The latest victims include two homeless men and a woman in her 70s, whose decomposing body was found in her central Phoenix house. Police spokesman Detective Tony Morales said the cooling system in the house either wasn't on or wasn't working. One of earlier victims was an 81-year-old woman.

The high Tuesday was forecast to be 113 degrees, and Phoenix is under a heat advisory until 8 p.m. Monday's high was 113, 6 degrees above normal.

Burn, baby, burn.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: WayAbvPar on July 19, 2005, 01:50:12 PM
So does a direct conduit to Hell actually open in the Valley between May and September?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Shockeye on July 19, 2005, 01:51:48 PM
So does a direct conduit to Hell actually open in the Valley between May and September?

Yes.

And it's cooler in hell.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: naum on July 19, 2005, 04:16:05 PM
Sunday set a record for 116 degree heat and it's the day my daughter decided to move. Unloading a U-haul and 3 trucks at 11am in the morning… …don't believe I've ever sweated that much in my life. Then, it was time for a scheduled league hockey game… …I am still sore today…


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Yegolev on July 19, 2005, 04:47:41 PM
Don't forget the Arizona state bird:

(http://home.ica.net/~mordeth/compendium/fallout/images/radscorp.jpg)

Be sure to keep some of this handy:

(http://www.gamebanshee.com/fallout/equipment/images/antidote.jpg)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Llava on July 19, 2005, 07:43:45 PM
Well, our state bird is actually a bird, but it has "cactus" in its name.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: OcellotJenkins on July 20, 2005, 05:01:15 PM
Death Toll Up to 13 in Phoenix Heat Wave (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050720/ap_on_re_us/heat_deaths_7)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Llava on July 20, 2005, 05:02:49 PM
So does a direct conduit to Hell actually open in the Valley between May and September?

Yes.

And it's cooler in hell.

I would've said something like "And that's how Hell stays so hot."  Better punchline, more subtle reversal.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: SuperPopTart on July 21, 2005, 08:27:20 AM
Don't forget the Arizona state bird:

(http://home.ica.net/~mordeth/compendium/fallout/images/radscorp.jpg)

Be sure to keep some of this handy:

(http://www.gamebanshee.com/fallout/equipment/images/antidote.jpg)


That looks like a bottle of steak sauce.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 21, 2005, 09:18:56 AM
It's probably supposed to be whisky or sommat.  Dunno.  It's an odd little bottle... maybe it's intended to smush the nasty buggy with?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Furiously on July 21, 2005, 09:29:37 AM
You fallout heathens... -10 on respect meter.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Yegolev on July 21, 2005, 09:42:49 AM
You two are just reinforcing the notion that Women Don't Play Games.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 21, 2005, 09:51:12 AM
Is it supposed to be red potion? I know what that's for!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Strazos on July 21, 2005, 10:25:26 AM
No god damnit, it's not #9...

BIS bastards...


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ezdaar on July 21, 2005, 02:19:05 PM
So somewhat back on topic...

I'm moving out soon and I was wondering if any of you Arizonians had recommendations for a good ISP. It looks like there is Cox for cable or Qwest for DSL. I've always had cable before but don't terribly like Cox so I was thinking of going to DSL. I think Speakeasy has service at my new place so I'll likely go with them but wanted to hear opinions of other ISPs in the area.

Thanks.



Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 21, 2005, 02:21:55 PM
Moving out of what?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Shockeye on July 21, 2005, 02:23:53 PM
Cox cable has been pretty good to me for high speed internet. I had many more problems when I was using DSL a few years ago.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: naum on July 21, 2005, 02:25:42 PM
I'm moving out soon and I was wondering if any of you Arizonians had recommendations for a good ISP. It looks like there is Cox for cable or Qwest for DSL. I've always had cable before but don't terribly like Cox so I was thinking of going to DSL. I think Speakeasy has service at my new place so I'll likely go with them but wanted to hear opinions of other ISPs in the area.

Cox (cable modem) or Qwest DSL though Qwest coverage is quite deficient, I believe 2/3 to 3/4 of the broadband market belongs to Cox. And actually, Cox, hasn't been bad — I've had service with them since August, 2001 and for the most part, it's been very reliable. It does cost more, however, I think I'm paying $50 a month.

You will still see Sprint broadband across the Valley (a diamond shaped dish elevated on a longer pole than is necessary for DirecTV), but I don't think they are actively selling this anymore, and even if they were, I would recommend against it, not suited for gaming, with latency issues (though good DL speed). It's reliability is very poor, especially during the months of July, August and September when winds kick up and affect connectivity.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: WayAbvPar on July 21, 2005, 02:31:04 PM
Do everything in your power to avoid dealing with Qwest. Their 'customer service' folks are beyond retarded. They must get a bonus for every customer who hangs up in disgust.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ezdaar on July 21, 2005, 05:28:36 PM
Moving out of what?

Moving out of beautiful La Jolla, California. Really though I meant moving out as in "I am moving out to Tempe" but I'm sure you knew that :)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 21, 2005, 05:59:56 PM
Moving out of what?

Moving out of beautiful La Jolla, California. Really though I meant moving out as in "I am moving out to Tempe" but I'm sure you knew that :)

No, I really didn't know where you were moving from.  I can't imagine why you would want to leave beautiful La Jolla, California for Any place in Arizona!  Arizona isn't really compatible with human life.

(http://www.a-zlajolla.com/coreimages/la_jolla_cove.jpg)

versus

(http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/310612/2/Steer_Skull.jpg)




Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ezdaar on July 21, 2005, 06:06:51 PM
Moving out of what?

Moving out of beautiful La Jolla, California. Really though I meant moving out as in "I am moving out to Tempe" but I'm sure you knew that :)

No, I really didn't know where you were moving from.  I can't imagine why you would want to leave beautiful La Jolla, California for Any place in Arizona!  Arizona isn't really compatible with human life.





Sorry thought you were being snarky. I'm moving since that's where they pay me the money to do the mathematics.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on July 21, 2005, 09:32:44 PM
La Jolla, oh how I love thee. My grandparents have a house at La Costa in Carlsbad. I just love me some Southern California.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Daydreamer on July 22, 2005, 12:45:35 AM
Aye, I went to UCSD and I LOVE La Jolla.  Rent is insane but otherwise its a beautiful beautiful place.  What about you Ezdaar, were you also a UCSD student?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Zephyr on July 22, 2005, 04:51:51 AM
Aye, I went to UCSD and I LOVE La Jolla.  Rent is insane but otherwise its a beautiful beautiful place.  What about you Ezdaar, were you also a UCSD student?

Rent is insane?  When I had the urge to move out there after getting an interview with the SD County Engineering Dept., I almost cried out how much cheaper it was than my apt. in NJ.  Then my SO decided to go after her master's, and those plans crumbled.  :P

Seriously, some of the ads I looked at were listed as being a few blocks from the beach and around $1k a month with only a $300 deposit.  Deposits around here are almost always 1.5x the first months rent, and good luck finding something at $1k a month that isn't crime infested or a winter beach rental.  Someone mentioned that sewage from Tijuana drifts up that way and could be why it seemed so cheap?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Murgos on July 22, 2005, 05:15:34 AM
First, 2.5k a month is cheap for a crap-tastic 2br/1b apt in Hoboken.

Second, La Jolla is amazing.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ezdaar on July 22, 2005, 05:53:52 AM
Yeah UCSD alum here, though I've lived in San Diego my whole life except for a short stint in Sydney (the Australian one). Going to ASU now to work on a Ph.D.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 22, 2005, 06:49:21 AM
San Diego is the best of California, I think.  New Jersey smells nasty and, yes, the rents are through the roof... especially anywhere in or around Princeton.  Even the bits in PA like Yardley.  It's also easier to find spacious rentals the more west you go.  It's very difficult to find more than 2 beds/2 baths in NJ and I like a bit of space around me.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 22, 2005, 10:03:08 AM
We pay less than $1200/mo for a spacious 2-bedroom house with hardwoods throughout and a fireplace, attic and basement, private back yard, and big front porch in a very trendy district. Nyah nyah nyah!  :-P  We also don't have sales tax. But Oregon's income taxes are insane.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Strazos on July 22, 2005, 10:46:08 AM
But Oregon's income taxes are insane.

But that doesn't mean a whole lot to you right now, right? Heh.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 22, 2005, 10:47:55 AM
This was the view out back of the place we lived in England before we moved to the US.  (although it's not from our patio and it's from a different angle) 
(http://xtramsn.co.nz/homepage2/imageView/0,,4144514,00.jpeg)
The side view looked out onto Porchester Castle:
(http://www.zurichmansion.org/images/port.jpg)

Three beds, fully furnished with very cool stuff (except for the B&O TV and stereo we didn't bother using. Ick.), 2 1/2 baths (one ensuite master),good sized balcony and a patio,  boardwalk with lovely restaurants and pubs, 11m berth for the boat we didn't have, UCI Cinema in the marina (5 min. walk)... all for about $400 less than Princeton, NJ.  Is it any wonder I get homesick?  I am never so calm as when I can look out onto water, too.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 22, 2005, 10:52:29 AM
But Oregon's income taxes are insane.

But that doesn't mean a whole lot to you right now, right? Heh.

My unemployment bennies still get taxed, and I'll hafta pay more at the end of the year.   :x


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: voodoolily on July 22, 2005, 11:01:30 AM
Within a ten-block radius we have: 2 independent movie theaters, numerous bars, an English pub (with adjacent beer store that sells over 200 domestic, micro and imports as well as prawn crisps), a hot dog/brat joint, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, French, Indian, pizza and fine dining restaurants, three bookstores, 2 video stores, 3 record stores, 4 or 5 clothing stores, an Aveda Dosha salon/spa, a music venue, a chocolatier, a Tibetan gift shop, 2 head shops, an Asian grocery store, an Indian grocery store, a gourmet grocery store, a liquor store and about a million other things. I love Hawthorne!  :heart:


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Strazos on July 22, 2005, 11:09:25 AM
Within a 1-mile radius, I have:

Houses.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on July 22, 2005, 11:13:22 AM
Me too, Straz... well, mostly apartments.  And fields of corn.  We should go live with V-Lily.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: stray on July 22, 2005, 11:40:04 AM
Suburban wasteland here too. Contrary to popular opinion, there are no cows in Texas (except the human kind).


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Viin on July 22, 2005, 12:13:34 PM
Just wanted to point out that it's really freakin' hot (http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_2881246) in Denver this week.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: CmdrSlack on July 23, 2005, 01:31:39 PM
Just because this is the Southwestern thread...here's some T-shirt that Urban Outfitters is selling that is, naturally, causing some people to pitch a fit:

(http://www.cmdrslack.com/images/newmexico.jpg)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Llava on July 23, 2005, 01:56:52 PM
Just wanted to point out that it's really freakin' hot (http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_2881246) in Denver this week.

Yeah, I guess that's pretty hot.

For Denver.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Pococurante on July 25, 2005, 04:13:57 PM
Suburban wasteland here too. Contrary to popular opinion, there are no cows in Texas (except the human kind).

Pshaw, cityboy.  From my purview I see longhorns, drilling rigs, llamas/exotic goats/baby donkeys, and the neighbor's daughter who thinks her bedroom window is a mirror.

I wake up each morning to this:

(http://www.scheffer.net/SchefferFarms/SchefferFarms800x600.jpg)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: WayAbvPar on July 25, 2005, 04:17:24 PM
Quote
neighbor's daughter who thinks her bedroom window is a mirror.

And yet we get a picture of a sunrise? ? ?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Pococurante on July 25, 2005, 04:27:40 PM
/smug


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ookii on July 26, 2005, 07:01:02 AM
Sorry to actually get back on subject, but what can you Phoenicians tell me about "Greasewood Flats" in Scottsdale?

From websites:

"Greasewood Flats isn't fancy; in fact, it's downright ramshackle, but the burgers are delicious and the crowds friendly. There's a dance floor with live music from Thursday through Sunday. In winter, wear jeans and a jacket here, since everything is outside; to keep warm, folks congregate around fires burning in halved 42-gallon oil drums.
-Fodor's"

"Yea, it's a hole the wall, but it's a pretty cool one. Just north of Scottsdale, AZ. It's reminicent of an old cowboy saloon, right down to the wooden sidewalk. I like it because it's hard to find, and i'm very rarely the worst dressed guy there. Inside the bar they can fit about ten people. (standing) Which is why they have a very strict single file bar line rule. If you ask, they will supply a marker so you can leave your mark, on the walls, ceiling, floor or on the guy next to you. (assuming he's passed out and smaller than you) telling the bartender not to stand up in a canoe, is an exceptable tip. just don't do it twice! My ear still hurts from last fall. Outside is a large grouping of picnic tables, with a lot of 50 gal. drums cut in half and filled with fire wood. They supply the wood, it's good wood and it's free. Which makes it great wood! on the weekends they usually have live entertainment, including but not limited to the occasional dumb ass getting thrown out. The whole area is surrounded by old wagons filled with old bottles. But if your not into live music, beer drinking or camp fires in the desert, then why don't you stay home? (just kidding) they also have horse shoe pits, and there is even a secret trail leading to a secret fire pit, but don't tell anyone. They also have some farm animals, i'm not sure why. There are a lot of cool people and a lot of great looking bikes. hope to see you out west soon, da boda yas. later days, BH"


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on July 26, 2005, 10:22:54 AM
THe phrases 50 gallon, 42 gallon, and cowboy scare the hell out of me. Where do you find this stuff?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Llava on July 26, 2005, 12:23:34 PM
Never heard of the place.  Personally, if I want a goofy, folksy type place to grab a meal I like going to "Crazy Ed's Satisfied Frog."  That's up in Cave Creek.  They're the inventors of Chili Beer if you're the type to experiment with such stuff.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ookii on July 26, 2005, 01:05:48 PM
Never heard of the place.  Personally, if I want a goofy, folksy type place to grab a meal I like going to "Crazy Ed's Satisfied Frog."  That's up in Cave Creek.  They're the inventors of Chili Beer if you're the type to experiment with such stuff.

I'd love to, and probaly will eventually, check out all these places, but that one seems like quite a hike from Chandler.

Courtsey of Google Maps:
Distance: 44.9 mi (about 54 mins)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ezdaar on July 27, 2005, 11:01:53 AM
This seems about as good a place as any to put a moving story.

The gf and I started out in San Diego last Friday morning with the van all loaded up and ready to go. We made it to Yuma, stopped and grabbed a bite at the Dennys. About 40 miles outside of Dennys the van died completely, stuck on the side of the road. Tried a few tricks to see if it would run again but no dice, it wouldn't start. Mind you now we're 40 miles away from a city and it's about 115 degrees outside in the midday sun. I now understand why people choose to drive at night in the desert. Called AAA, one hour and one strange insect bite later a tow truck arrived and towed us back to Yuma with a short stop in a small town called Tacna that had a fellow running a repair place/junkyard that was straight out of some strange movie. He was called "The boss" by everyone and was a large man in all white with a cloth in his hand to wipe the sweat from his face constantly. The mechanic would break out in cackles of laughter at random, and the whole place was ringed with classic cars from as far back as the 40s that had died and The Boss refused to sell any of them.

Roughly 8 hours later the van was ready to go with a new fuel pump. Stayed the night in Yuma and drove to Tempe the next morning.

Got most of the stuff moved in to the new place and decided to drive around and look at the local places. At this point the left front ball joint on the van gave out over a speed bump and the whole front left of the van came crashing down. 3 hours later we got another tow and started an adventure to find a place that could fix it. Found one eventually and the van was fixed on Monday. Turns out the first towtruck driver had hooked it up incorrectly and broken it. In the interim we went up to Mill Ave. by the university and caught a movie and basked in the nice sprinkler things along the area there. Also got to check out the local game store that is literally behind me.

After all this we got to drive back to San Jose for 13 hours, spending the night in LA after trying for 2 hours to find a motel that wasn't booked up or didn't have armed robbers hitting up the gas station across the street from it.

Things I learned that are really handy:
1. The desert is meant to be driven across at night, not in the day.
2. It is good to bring lots of water when driving across the desert.
3. Dust storms are real.
4. When in the desert you don't want to have any skin showing that the sun can hit. You will be hot either way, having skin showing just means you will feel like you are on fire in addition to being hot.
5. The price of renting a Uhaul just might be worth it after you total up the cost of repairing a broken down vehicle.
6. Anything over 110 degrees feels like death.
7. Tempe is actually pretty nice.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Pococurante on July 27, 2005, 11:03:56 AM
Having a breakdown at night isn't necessarily an improvement.  Small town folks have their own notion about what constitutes an emergency that gets them out of bed...


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Strazos on July 27, 2005, 11:21:09 AM
Roughly 8 hours later the van was ready to go with a new fuel pump. 

Wow, lucky...Usually, it's something borderline-catastrophic when you break down.

Quote
At this point the left front ball joint on the van gave out over a speed bump and the whole front left of the van came crashing down. 3 hours later we got another tow and started an adventure to find a place that could fix it. Found one eventually and the van was fixed on Monday. Turns out the first towtruck driver had hooked it up incorrectly and broken it.

Ouch.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Cheddar on December 18, 2006, 11:27:43 AM
So how is Arizona now that you kids have been there awhile?  I just got word that my brother is getting transferred there; him and the future wife are pretty thrilled (especially considering they live in Anchorage, Alaska).  I have also been informed that I will be required to take my GF there (she has a Arizona fixation for some reason) for a vacation.  I will probably wait until the fall due to the intense heat you guys have down there.

I believe he will be stationed at Fort Huachuca (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Huachuca).  Kinda hard to talk to him right now; after a year and a half in Iraq him and the fiance barely leave the house.



Sorry for the necro, did not want to start an entirely new thread.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Yegolev on December 18, 2006, 12:01:09 PM
http://www.thebigzoo.com/Animals/Giant_Desert_Hairy_Scorpion.asp


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Rasix on December 18, 2006, 12:36:54 PM
http://www.thebigzoo.com/Animals/Giant_Desert_Hairy_Scorpion.asp

I had one of those on the wall a couple months ago.  When I smashed it with my shoe, it left a perfect, ghastly silhouette.

I called an exterminator the next day.  Those people are crooks.  I'll take my chances.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Strazos on December 18, 2006, 01:27:31 PM
Fuck that shit. I prefer the cold to obscene heat anyway. PC runs better in the cold.  :evil:


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Rasix on December 18, 2006, 01:32:56 PM
Fuck that shit. I prefer the cold to obscene heat anyway. PC runs better in the cold.  :evil:

We've got air conditioning here.  It seems to work. 

On the upside, I played tennis in a short sleeve shirt and shorts last week.  At night.  Mid 70's all week.



Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: WayAbvPar on December 18, 2006, 01:47:36 PM
I saw a bunch of asshats in San Diego wearing stocking caps last night. It was probably 65 degrees there. Pussies.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Yoru on December 18, 2006, 02:11:45 PM
I saw a bunch of asshats in San Diego wearing stocking caps last night. It was probably 65 degrees there. Pussies.

Yeah, even up here in SF, everyone bundles up once it hits 60. It's in the 40s-50s most days and I'm still walking around in a windbreaker. It's nice to not be freezing my nuts off stamping through multiple inches of wet snow in mid-December.

I think poor temperature tolerance something genetic to Californians.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Strazos on December 18, 2006, 02:14:07 PM
I somehow think air conditioning can get a bit pricey down in Arizona. I know it can sure run up a bill if you live in NJ.

We still don't have man-eating arachnids here.  :-P


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Yegolev on December 18, 2006, 03:37:01 PM
On the upside, I played tennis in a short sleeve shirt and shorts last week.  At night.  Mid 70's all week.

We have that in Atlanta this week.  I also don't have to worry about being attacked by something that can survive being frozen in a solid chunk of ice for a week.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Sir Fodder on December 19, 2006, 12:32:27 AM
My AC is actially very cheap to run; evaporative "swamp cooler" is just a little water pump with a turbine fan pulling air through moist pads. Works great most of the time with the exception of the ~4 to 6 weeks of monsoon weather when the humidity goes up, then it sucks to have no real AC.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on December 19, 2006, 02:36:23 AM
Ched - or anyone from f13 that doesn't freak me out - here's the rules.

You show up in Phoenix, there's room in our house. There's beer in the fridge. And there are games in 3 different rooms. There's a porch with chairs, ashtrays, and a bbq.

It's not a bad place to be any time of the year.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ironwood on December 19, 2006, 02:43:41 AM
Ched - or anyone from f13 that doesn't freak me out - here's the rules.

Post a list.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on December 19, 2006, 02:52:32 AM
You're not on the "freaks me out list." That list is super short. Super, super short. Honestly, there are people I'd entertain who I don't like on f13 solely because I'd want to see if they were dicks off the internet too.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: stray on December 19, 2006, 03:03:32 AM
I just might show up and set up headquarters at your house. There's an ex-girlfriend in Phoenix that I've been meaning to stalk.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on December 19, 2006, 04:08:58 AM
Fair nuff. Just don't strategically hide her inside of the couch pillows.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on December 19, 2006, 07:32:33 AM
I knew there'd be another rule!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Cheddar on December 19, 2006, 08:12:32 AM
Ched - or anyone from f13 that doesn't freak me out - here's the rules.

You show up in Phoenix, there's room in our house. There's beer in the fridge. And there are games in 3 different rooms. There's a porch with chairs, ashtrays, and a bbq.

It's not a bad place to be any time of the year.

It would be interesting to have some sorta f13 get together next year.  I am curious to see how people are offline compared to their persona. 

I am more coherent IRL.  I also bring my own beer. 



edit.  The more I think about it, the better it sounds.  We can even coincide it with GDC or something similiar.  How many people would be interested in this?  I would love to meet some Devs IRL and get some swag to give away here on F13 (imagine how many lurkers would sign up if we had a give away for a mug signed by Raph!). 


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Yegolev on December 19, 2006, 09:38:56 AM
Put some pants on first.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on December 19, 2006, 09:56:29 AM
I think he looks lovely, even if he is a Ginger.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Cheddar on December 19, 2006, 10:05:04 AM
I think he looks lovely, even if he is a Ginger.

Who is a Ginger?  I am have strong polish heritage!  No red hair and freckles for me!

Oh, and I have Mediterranean skin.  I never get sunburned, I just tan, baby.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on December 19, 2006, 10:06:43 AM
Your pics make you look ginger.  I can only believe my eyes.  It's all I have.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Cheddar on December 19, 2006, 10:14:47 AM
Your pics make you look ginger.  I can only believe my eyes.  It's all I have.

<insert sexual innuendo here>

I do have light facial hair.  I assure you the rest of the hair on my body is dark, though.  You will just have to take my word on it.  :)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on December 19, 2006, 10:25:36 AM
Good Grief!  I was only talking about the hair on your head!   :-o


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Yoru on December 19, 2006, 10:59:10 AM
It would be interesting to have some sorta f13 get together next year.  I am curious to see how people are offline compared to their persona. 

I am more coherent IRL.  I also bring my own beer. 

edit.  The more I think about it, the better it sounds.  We can even coincide it with GDC or something similiar.  How many people would be interested in this?  I would love to meet some Devs IRL and get some swag to give away here on F13 (imagine how many lurkers would sign up if we had a give away for a mug signed by Raph!). 

I'd be in, although not during GDC (unless it's also co-located at GDC) as I'm likely to be in attendance there. At least, as long as I have some vacation days to spare.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Cheddar on December 19, 2006, 11:19:02 AM
I'd be in, although not during GDC (unless it's also co-located at GDC) as I'm likely to be in attendance there. At least, as long as I have some vacation days to spare.

I was thinking something along the lines of overlap; a few days in Arizona and a few days around GDC.  I would be spending the bulk of Arizona time with my brother anyhow.  I got pre-approval to attend nerd seminars and plan on taking full advantage of it.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Sky on December 19, 2006, 11:25:16 AM
I'm pretty sure the devil took over the southwest and bathes it in the furnace of hell. Rest easy that you'll never see me down there!


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: WayAbvPar on December 19, 2006, 11:31:50 AM
As long as there is AC and cold beer, I couldn't care less how hot it is outside. See Vegas, Las.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Strazos on December 19, 2006, 02:54:43 PM
I try not to go south of the Mason-Dixon line. I'm not a fan of sweltering heat (Fuck you, Florida).


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: stray on December 20, 2006, 04:03:46 AM
Florida is a bit more tropical. Even though I've been raised in the south Texas climate, Florida's brand of heat can be overwhelming at times.

They have the best beaches in the country though. Better than Hawaii even. You should still go there for that.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Strazos on December 20, 2006, 07:21:57 AM
Sorry, I despise the beach.

Also, it bores me. I'm not one to sit around in the sun and do not much of anything.

But really, it comes down to me really disliking heat. Do people need a cooler for their swimming pools down there? Went in one once and it was like a warm bath...


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Nija on December 20, 2006, 10:22:02 AM
You're not on the "freaks me out list." That list is super short. Super, super short. Honestly, there are people I'd entertain who I don't like on f13 solely because I'd want to see if they were dicks off the internet too.

Wow, so when should I visit?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ezdaar on December 20, 2006, 11:46:27 AM
I'd be happy to meet up with anyone visiting Phoenix as well, though I don't have any room for people to crash unfortunately. Perhaps when we move into a bigger place later in the year. I still haven't even met up with the schild house crew so that would also be a good thing. I live in Tempe so we have all the college type bars and plastic looking blond girls.



Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on December 20, 2006, 01:33:00 PM
Yea, somehow, I still haven't met a couple of the people that live in Phoenix. Weird.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ezdaar on December 20, 2006, 04:46:41 PM
Odd somewhat related question, did you call in to a local radio show last week when the editor from EGM/1up was on?



Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: schild on December 20, 2006, 07:07:10 PM
Yes. I got disconnected. My second question was going to be about VUG saying Blizzard was making everything an MMOG.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Ezdaar on December 20, 2006, 07:12:33 PM
Yeah it didn't seem that they were terribly interested in any actual gaming questions but rather wanted to hear about the nekkid gamer girls calendar and talk about how Halo and Madden rulez!!1LOL!!11

Interesting coincidence that I heard you call in though, I tend to catch about 15 minutes of that show once a week when I'm driving home from something.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Strazos on December 20, 2006, 07:16:51 PM
Who listens to terrestrial radio still?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Cheddar on December 20, 2006, 07:23:37 PM
Radio is soooo 90's.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Yegolev on December 20, 2006, 07:57:19 PM
Who listens to terrestrial radio still?

(http://radio.weblogs.com/0112482/images/myImages/2004/05/14/InvaderZimWthoutStripes.gif)


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on December 21, 2006, 06:42:21 AM
The only radio in our house in the alarm clock radio and it's set to buzzer.  Radio seems to confuse the voices.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Daeven on December 21, 2006, 07:08:06 AM
Radio is soooo 90's.

Video killed the Radio Star, or at least, that's what I heard on a Mexican Radio.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Sky on December 21, 2006, 08:04:48 AM
Radio is soooo 90's.

Video killed the Radio Star, or at least, that's what I heard on a Mexican Radio.
I think you're turning Japanese. I really think so.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on December 21, 2006, 08:17:01 AM
I can sing that song and walk like an Egyptian at the same time.  My doctors say I have talent.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Strazos on December 21, 2006, 03:11:16 PM
You should go on here (http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/) then.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Signe on December 21, 2006, 03:48:24 PM
I'm much too shy.  I only sing in front of my husband because I trust him.


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Cheddar on December 21, 2006, 09:18:30 PM
I'm much too shy.  I only sing in front of my husband because I trust him.

You don't trust America?


Title: Re: Arizona: Home is where the heat is.
Post by: Llava on December 23, 2006, 08:38:10 AM
I don't.