Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

I had mentioned just the other day that we were planning on quite a lot of things for the weekend. A big part of our plans was to go see Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Wow, was it good! Three hours of excellent dialog, story, and acting. After a few minutes, it no longer seemed as though we were watching a play. Instead, it was as though we were watching a family try to work through all their struggles. I can definitely recommend it without reservations.

Now, if you missed it (today is the last show for the summer), you'll have another opportunity to see it come Fall (3-6 September), and don't forget the other productions that are available through the UofA.

Weather in the Old Pueblo

On Monday, the newspaper had this for the weather forecast for tomorrow. Note the words, "Partly cloudy and cooler," with the forecast of a high of 105°.

Truth be told, we have it easy compared to our neighbors to the north and west. I can remember a few years back when the high for Bullhead City was 126°. That's hot.

And the time we stopped out in Gila Bend on the way to San Diego. I don't know what the thermometer read, but it was distinctly hotter than anything I've experienced in Tucson. So again, we have it pretty easy.

Now, for those not from the Southwest, those that talk about their heat and humidity. Sure, it's humid back East, and hot, too. But here, well, let me tell you a true story from a few years back.

A couple, who had lived in Tucson for several years were being transferred back East. Since the couple liked the Southwest and were hikers, they headed up to Piccacho Peak for a hike. The hike is about 4-5 miles, up and over the saddle of a small mountain. I'd consider it moderate in difficulty. They did this in the summer, so like anyone in this area, they brought water with them to drink along the way. Unfortunately, they didn't make it. Their bodies were found a couple of hundred yards from the ranger station. That's what the heat in the Southwest can do. Experiance hikers with water dying in the desert. That's from tryng to complete a 4-5 hour moderate hike.

So, if you are heading out in the heat, be careful, and drink water until you slosh.

I'm bored

I'm always amazed at the number of people who say there isn't anything to do in Tucson. For us, it seems like there is so much going on that we have to pick and choose carefully to make sure to fit in what we want. Let's take next weekend for example:

On Thursday we are planning on seeing Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at Cinema La Placita. Friday, we'll see Cat on a Hot Tin Roof down at UofA Marroney theater. Saturday, of course, it's Mars Day at the Fox Theatre where we'll see Angry Red Planet and Earth versus the Flying Saucers. In between the movies, we probably head over to the Center for Creative Photography for the Lee Freidlander: American Monuments exhibit. Followed by Sunday with Shakespeare in the Park at the Demeester center.

So how can you join in the fun, and how much will it set you back?

As I've written here before, Cinema La Placita is technically free including all the popcorn you can eat, they do request a $3-$5 donation to help keep the series going. Now, I know that you think that it only costs a couple of bucks to rent a DVD so someone must be making out. Nothing is further from the truth. First, to show a movie in a public setting requires paying the licensing fee to the studios. Second, there's security personel. Third, there's the cost of equipment. And then there's even the cost of the popcorn. All told, it runs over $500 for a single night. Once you realize that, I'm sure you'll chip in $5.

The play, put on by the School of Theatre Arts will run you $28. It's easily the most expensive of everything I listed, but consider that for 2 hours, you'll have probably 30-40 people working on stage and behind the scenes with the sole goal of entertaining you. And there is really nothing quite like a live performance.

Mars day at the Fox has free events, but the movies will set you back $8 per. Agian, it might seem that you could see the same movies just by getting a DVD from Casa Video, but it won't be the same. With your $8 you get to see these film in the best movie house in Tucson. And the $8 will help keep the Fox going.

The Center for Creative Photography is another of those things that is technically free, but asks for donations. I'd pitch in $5 a person.

Finally, for Shakespeare in the Park, you get the chance to see one of the works of the greatest playwright (for those that don't think the can understand Shakespeare, it is far easier to watch the plays than to read them). Cost: free, although I suspect they'll pass around the hat to help keep the tradition going, so let's call it $5.

Grand total: $5 + $28 +$16 +$5 +$5 = $59 for 4 days of entertainment with a total of 6 venues. Not bad.

So, next time you think there is nothing to do, think again.

Starting to warm up

It's finally starting to warm up here in the Old Pueblo. Days are in the low 100s and nights in the 60s, and the air conditioner hums throughout the day. It's days like this that help make Tucson one of my favorite places to live. Really.

Why? Well, in the summer a lot of the snowbirds leave town, so there is a lot less traffic on the city streets. between the snowbirds leaving and the students from the UofA departing, the effect is quite noticeable.

The other thing that is nice is that there are a lot of things that start up in the summer for the locals. ASDM starts up the summer Saturday evenings (and we headed off to the first of the season). The summer movies at Cinema La Placita start up. It is a great evening when you can sit under the starts and watch a classic (or not so classic) movie. The Fox theatre starts its summer movie classic series. This summer it'll be old horror films: Frankenstein, Dracula, you know the lot. See, a lot does go on during the summer. You just have to know where to find it.