Hot Town, Summer In The City...

 

If you said, "The Lovin' Spoonful, 1966," you get 10 bonus points.  "Only 10?"  Oh, come on, this one was easy.

What's not so easy: living with summer in the city.  Today, the high in Phoenix is going to be 112º - the hottest day of the year, so far.  Yeah, that's hot.  If you said, "The signature line from Paris Hilton," you were probably a child of the 90s and don't get any bonus points for that.

Murphy and I went out at 6:30 this morning; it was already 93º...

 If you look close, you will Murphy sitting by the steps to the hot tub (near the center of the image).  The boy instinctively knows to stay in the shade.  It was his choice to come back inside.  But, I was right there with him.

I have music today with Mark and the guys.  I think it has been a month or so since I've been able to participate.  This is not with the Hip Replacements; it would be with the "big group," but there will only be 4 of us there today... summer travel schedules.  

We won't be traveling for the next 5 or 6 days, for sure: Steph and Dan are going back to Wisconsin for a family gathering, and Joan and I will be doing kitty care for their cats.  I do the feeding and Alfie's meds, Joan does the litter, and we work together to give Tasha her meds (it is a two-person task).  I am reminded that "that's why you moved here: so we can support each other."  And, 5 cats to take care of.

 

Not Quite As Refreshing...

 

Yesterday, it was 76º when I got up at 5:30.  It didn't hit 90º until 9:00.  Today, it was 84º when I got up at 5:30, and 90º at 8:05.  You feel the difference.

That said, I got out on the CTX this morning.  Like the Burgman, it is "two wheels and a motor."  They are very different from each other.  I enjoy them both, but the CTX is a motorcycle; the visceral feel of it is different from the Burgman.  The Burgman is fun and easy - think about going through a twisty road curve and this bike does it.  The CTX is heavier and more planted.  More muscle... in the torque of the motor and the effort it takes to ride it on the same twisty road.  Both are a lot of fun to ride.  The best thing about the Burgman on a twisty road is the ease.  The best thing about the CTX on a twisty road is that Dual Clutch Transmission, and the ability to downshift at the push of a button.

Today, it was the CTX's turn.  I did take a couple photos of the road...

 Early in the day, so a bit of sun flare looking east.  A shot of some desert mountain scenery...

 And, a stop to get a photo of the bike...

 I may be a party of one, but I think the CTX (fairing model) is a good looking bike.  It reminds me a little of the Harley FXRT I had in 1983.  For the record, that model wasn't a big seller for Harley, either.  The CTX isn't a sportbike, though it has 17" wheels.  It isn't a cruiser, though it has a feet-forward riding position and a long wheelbase.  It isn't a sport touring bike, even though it has a fairing and matching saddlebags were an option.  I consider it a sport-cruiser... but, that's a category I made up... and a bit of an oxymoron.

The riding was good today.  Definitely warmer than yesterday.  Light traffic once again.  And another good start to the day.

 

Refreshing!

 

Mother Nature cut you a break?  No, highs this week are supposed to be in the 100-and-teens.

That said, at 5:30 this morning, it was 76º.  I was feeling the need to take advantage of that.  It will be in the 80s for overnight lows the rest of the week.

I took care of my morning routine, including getting Murphy some outdoor time.  I had to chuckle at the local morning news: the NBC affiliate is at Buc-ee's - they were counting down to the 6:00 am "doors open" time.  Yep, a big crowd.  Some people camped out in line to be one of the first ones in the door.  I like Buc-ee's, but not enough to stand in line to get in the door.  But, I don't stand in line (anymore) for concert tickets, Black Friday sales, or the latest iPhone.  It's OK, people, they will make more Beaver Nuggets, brisket, and jerkey.

My refreshing time: out on the scoot.  I put the trickle charger on the battery last night - it has been sitting for a while.  I checked oil and tires, and fired it up.  I was a bit concerned when the fuel gauge was still showing two bars; that's where it was when I last rode it.  And, it stayed on two bars through the ride.  I was concerned that maybe the fuel sender was stuck.  I "shook it down" pretty good.

There was almost no traffic on the mountain.  Nothing in my lane and only 5 or 6 vehicles going the other way.  That was refreshing.  And the relatively cool air in the shade of the mountain on some stretches.  I stopped to take a couple photos of the valley...

 Pretty desert scenery (those photos were from less than half way up the mountain), and decent visibility.  I stopped to rehydrate at the top, then back at it.  The fuel gauge was still showing 2 bars.  Same when I got off the mountain.  When I did stop at a gas station on the way home, I discovered why the gauge wasn't moving: 91.5 miles per gallon.  This scoot is entertaining and economical.

I needed to get out for a ride.  Summers are brutal here in the desert.  Early morning is the only time - it isn't safe to ride when the heat is above 110º.

Great start to the day!

 

Happy Father's Day...

 

And happy Summer Solstice!  And, in spite of what you might read or hear, this is not the "longest day of the year."  The days all have the same 24 hours.  This is the day of the year with the most daylight; from today on (until the Winter Solstice) the daylight hours will get less each day.

And Father's Day?  It doesn't get any less - it is still the best.  I would say it is my "favorite job," but it isn't a job, it's an adventure... if you said, "That is the recruiting slogan from the US Navy from 1976 to 1986," you get 30 bonus points.

I'm having a good Father's Day.  We were all up early for breakfast out at Black Bear Diner; yes, the second of my Father's Day meals, but this one actually on the day.  We got to Black Bear a few minutes after 7:00 this morning - obviously not the only ones with that plan and timing.  Within a few minutes of getting seated, the place was full.

Once back home, it was time to be adored.  While I am always pretty adorable, this is also a day to get cards and gifts.  Murphy and Stella got in on the action, with traced paw prints as the signature on the card from them.  Yes, it was very cute.

But, the best part of Father's Day here in Arizona: I get to see our kid.  And that is an almost every day occurrence. While I am not a fan of living in the desert, being next door to Steph and Dan (and the critters) makes it all good.  It is a very nice Father's Day.

 

Clean It Up...

 

The RoadTrek smashed a lot of bugs in this last trip.  This morning, at 5:30, it was 76º... yep, that's as good as it's gonna get until around November or so - time to get that van cleaned up.  We brought it in from storage last night, so I was ready for it.  Well, as ready as you can be at 5:30 in the morning.

I got out the ladder (gotta clean those solar panels on top), the hose, the car cleaning soap, the brush, the cleaning cloths.

 Notice something besides the van in the driveway?

 That is Steph's new car - a Buick Envista Avenir.  They went yesterday morning "just to look."  And came home with that.  She traded her Lexus for it.  It is a good-looking car; rides nice... they took us to lunch yesterday; a "joint decision," to avoid the Father's Day crowds.

 Did I mention: cool new car?

OK, back to the cleaning... a bit over 2 hours later, my part was winding down.  6 rounds of soap/scrub/rinse on the front of the van (all those bugs, remember?).  Wiping it all down.  Joan came out to do the windows (a lot of windows) and the interior.  Looking good!

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And, back to the feline portion of our program:

The little one can be a bit of a goof-ball... 

 Yeah, that's off the side of the cat tower.  And, here she is swatting her brother...

 A bit of drama on Murphy's part.  They're cute together.

Naps...

 

I hear that is a good thing for old people like you, Jim.

I would consider that snarky... if it wasn't so true.  It is good for cats, too.

Murphy and Stella enjoy naps.  And lately, they have been enjoying them in close proximity to each other...

 You get a good view of the size difference with this "overhead" shot.  But, what I notice most is how sweet they are together.  I think two weeks in the "closeness" (is that a word?) of the van brought them together even more.  On the bright side, if there are middle of the night zoomies, they are generally happening somewhere besides our bedroom.

I've read that cats sleep 16 hours a day.  I haven't found that to be the case, but these two are working on it...

 And, later...

 Yeah, I may be a party of one who appreciates these images.  Well, Joan likes 'em, too, since the first two photos are hers.

So you don't get the idea that these two do nothing but sleep, this shot was taken shortly after the one above...

 And, Stella's turn in front of the camera...

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Buc-ee's is almost ready!

Monday, June 22nd is opening day for the new Buc-ee's in Goodyear, AZ.  "Is that a big deal?" you ask.  The local NBC affiliate (Channel 12) will be doing live broadcasts from Buc-ee's throughout the day, including two streaming broadcasts.  Motels close to the Buc-ee's location are reporting being sold out for rooms around that date.  There are special traffic procedures being put into place by the City of Goodyear for the streets surrounding Buc-ee's, including "no turns across traffic" (you will have to go a half mile beyond Buc-ee's, do a U-turn, then come back so you don't have to cross traffic to enter the Buc-ee's.  Arizona DOT has a camera set up to monitor the roads on the entrances to Buc-ee's.  I-10 drivers are being encouraged to take alternate routes on opening day and the week following; and are advising drivers that there may be Interstate ramp closures during that time.

So, yeah, it is apparently a big deal.

 

Steph and Dan are treating us to a Father's Day lunch today (to avoid the crowds on Sunday) a mile or so away from that new Buc-ee's location.  I'm guessing we should be away from the fray.

 

Everything Old Is New Again...

 

When Stella first started coming out of the catio, we put a second cat tower (a hand-me-down from Steph and Dan) in the living room.  It gave both cats a place to play.  I thin it was beneficial in bringing those two together, but... right in the middle of the living room.

In time, Joan moved both cat towers to a wall, and the cats lost interest in them.

Since we have been in this house, we have moved one of the kitchen bar stools (with a cooling pad on it) to the patio door.  It was Murphy's "happy place," where he could nap and keep an eye on what is going on in the courtyard.  When we brought Stella into the family, she would watch Murphy sit on that chair... and would hop up onto it when he vacated it.  The solution to both cats getting a comfortable place for courtyard viewing: two kitchen bar stools by the door.  That's a lot to move when you want to go out the door.

Joan gave it some thought and came up with an idea: what if we put casters on the bottom of a cat tower and put that by the patio door?  Plenty of room for both cats to have a raised view.  Casters on the bottom because the towers are heavy and awkward to carry.  She ordered a set of casters with brakes.

This morning, it was "only" 82º when I took Murphy outside.  More heat is coming (supposed to be highs of 114º most of next week) - this would be my window for getting the casters installed.  And outside, so I could put the tower on the tall table out there horizontally so I could work on it at a comfortable height.

The screws that came with the casters were just the right length.  15 minutes later, I bought the tower back into the house to test it out: with two brakes on, it is solid.  The cats looked at it with suspicion...

 And then, acceptance...