walking,
hiking |
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- variously around our "Villas West" neighborhood, including our local Wednesday farmers market |
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- Sabino Canyon (2nd time w. Imelda & Dave), part of Coronado Nat'l Forest in Santa Catalina Mtns northeast of Tucson |
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- Sabino Canyon's Bear Canyon to Seven Falls |
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- Ventana Canyon, in Santa Catalina Mtns. north of Tucson |
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- Chiricahua National Monument, Echo Loop; 1st visit moteled in Willcox; 2nd visit (2 nights camping): Massai Nature Loop; Sugarloaf Peak; campground forest hike |
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- Cochise Stronghold nature and history walks (across the valley from Chiricahua) |
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- Madera Canyon (across the valley from our Green Valley "home"); multiple visits including "super" and proctored nature trail |
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- Arivaca and Cienega hikes, plus Aguirre Lake, all at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, west of Green Valley |
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- Patagonia Lake State Park |
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- Tonto National Monument to the lower and upper cliff dwellings (east of Phoenix) |
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- Tonto Natural Bridge State Park (northeast of Phoenix) |
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- all around downtown Santa Fe |
| biking |
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- variously around Green Valley: including the Duval Mine, Continental, Canada triangle loop or Canada outnbaks (12); Old Nogales loop; Canoa Ranch; from Box Canyon |
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- on a little used bike path in the flats below "our" mountain; and little traveled roads in front of Mt. Hopkins (3) |
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- on the Rillito River bike path that crosses northern Tucson (4; incl. once with Imelda & Dave) |
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- on the Santa Cruz River bike path that parallels near I-10 thru Tucson |
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- on the exercise bike at the fitness center of this "active-senior" town (3); and at the Hilton when visiting San Diego (3); and at Marriott in Santa Fe (3) |
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- from the Cholla Campground to Roosevelt Lake bridge outnbak (2) |
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- toodling outnbak to ping pong most of a dozen times |
| driving |
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- up Madera Canyon beneath "our" mountain (Wrightson, 9400 ft. and Hopkins, 8500 ft.), including one Scrabble outing |
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- up the skinny Whipple Observatory dirt road toward Mt. Hopkins (til ice on road stopped us); 2nd time w. Ann & Joel |
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- up Mt. Lemmon (9000 ft.) north of Tucson (2nd time part way up w. Imelda & Dave) |
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- back roads north of the Mexico border |
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- Gates Pass back to Tucson from Sonora Desert Museum |
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- Box Canyon dirt road cut through from the east side of the Santa Rita Mountains |
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- back roads across our valley, winding east of Tucson to Colossal Cave and Saguaro Nat'l Forest (east section twice) |
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- back roads to Globe to Roosevelt Lake and up past Payson to Tonto Natural Bridge |
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- back roads from Roosevelt Lake to Phoenix metro area incl. 44 mile canyon road (22 miles dirt) roughly parallel w. Apache Lake |
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- to San Diego and back, visit mom (1000 mile 4 day trip) |
| tennis |
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rallying for the first time in, like, two years |
| ping pong |
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The average age of the Green Valley Table Tennis Club is definitely higher than the Nevada City Table Tennis Club, but the exercise and level of play suits the Jaffee level of play well; been to couple 8AM sessions; since so many people show up for the 6 tables, it's almost entirely doubles -- a fun adjustment (13 times) |
| pickle ball |
("fastest growing sport in America"? played with paddles and a wiffle ball on a quarter size tennis court) |
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- at Esperanza Estates, a free encouraging lesson from Gary (Speedy) Beady; matches (Chuck only) |
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- at East Center (the main Pickle Ball locus) |
| pampering |
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- massage in Green Valley (marvina & chuck, once each) |
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- Ayurvedic "full body ceremony" for marvina's birthday/anniversary present |
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- yoga class session |
| games |
- Scrabble (4): 3 w Marvina Chuck (one game close) plus 4way w. Ann Joel Marvina Chuck (all left with tiles, close) |
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- chucking (2 golfish in front of 134B) w Joel Ann Marvina, incl. one sudden death w Joel |
| attractions |
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- Amerind Foundation (museum of native cultures, east of Tucson) |
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- Concert: Wynton Marsallis at Centennial Hall (UofA) with his Lincoln Center touring jazz orchestra |
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- Tohono Chul: acres and acres of tended desert landscape, beau coup cactus; engaging built spaces |
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- Botanical Garden, Tucson |
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- Kartchner Caverns |
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- Mission, Tumacacori National Historic Park |
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- Mission, San Xavier del Bac (with Darla & Tye) |
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- Museum: DeGrazia "Gallery in the Sun" |
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- Museum, University of Arizona Art |
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- Museum, Tucson Art |
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- Museum, Arizona State History |
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- Museum, Arizona Sonora Desert: acres and acres of desert landscapes plus animals, science (2nd visit w. Darla & Tye) |
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- Museum, Georgia O'Keeffe in Santa Fe, plus her homes 1.5 hours away (Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch) |
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- Museum of Indian Arts & Culture; also Museum of International Folk Art |
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- Saguaro National Park west, including Valley View and petrogyphs and Signal Hill |
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- Tubac: turista shopping built on a thin historic backdrop |
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- Sedona: Pilatki Ruins and (also cliff dwellings) Montezuma Castle National Monument |
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- Petroglyph National Monument, Albuquerque New Mexico |
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| movies |
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- Biutiful: since Javier Bardem was nominated Best Actor and the film for Best Foreign Language film; edgy, tough to take world of exploited immigrants underpins a story of a loving family man who makes questionable choices |
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- The Illusionist (at Tucson's independent movie hourse, The Loft): This Oscar nominee for Best Animated Film by the maker of the trippy "Triplets of Belleville, really disappoints once you nod to the visual artistry of it. It's thinly storied and unappeallingly sad and repetitive beyond its initial charm and occasionally clever tidbits. |
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- Oscar nominated live action shorts sent to me write reviews (my prediction, "The Crush"; hedge pick, "The Confession"; "God of Love" also good); also Oscar nominated animated shorts (thin set of choices with "The Lost Thing" the seeming clear pick |
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- Viewed screeners received to review for Nevada Theatre showings: Budrus; Another Year; Phil Ochs: There but for Fortune |
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- Netflix: Kisses [gritty, touching, off beat good]; Red [overblown, fun enough not to be wholly bad]; Jack Goes Boating [small relationship pic, Philip Seymour Hoffman directing himself]; Animal Kingdom [kid stuck in a crime family, so what]; Hair [lots of vitality and 60s nostalgia]; For Colored Girls [too cluttered for what the content has to offer]; The Last Station [rich characterizations and chemistry and historic window into Tolstoy's life]; Forbidden Lies [provocative tho annoying expose of debunked "honor killing" author]; I Confess [hitchcock conceptually good somewhat stilted]; The Last Detail; The Late Show; The Fighter; Which Way Home [doc about Latin kids to US by train] |
| books |
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- "The Tennis Partner" by Dr. Abraham Verghese [very good] |
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- "Georgia O'Keeffe" by Janet Souter [coffee table book: bio and many of her paintings] |
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- "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. LeGuin [not as good as its classic sci fi stature but good] |
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- "The Human Strain" and "Everyman" and "My Life as a Man" and "Our Gang" all by Philip Roth |
| eating |
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- mostly picnicky and pick-uppy plus easy, healthy at home |
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- one local family restaurant and a local Chinese (both so so); |
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- couple lunches in Tubac (messed up service, nice setting, notch above Mexican "dining" in one; average fair in other) |
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- Grill on the Green with Darla and Tye staying at the Wyndham (notch above dining) |
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- The Hub (including gelato) with Zellie and Sarah, then again with Ann and Joel in downtown Tucson |
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- Manuel's in Green Valley with Ann and Joel |
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- Guadalajara Grill East in Tucson on Kolb w. Imelda & Dave |
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- Opa! in Tucson before concert for birthday/anniversary (deservedly well recommended Greek food) |
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- Agave just north of Green Valley next to Desert Diamond Casino (very good especially since it came as a 2for1), once with landlord, Eric & Karen and once returning from Chiricahua |
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- gelato at Keva Juice in northeast Tucson |
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- series of at home dinner fixin' with Ann and Joel |
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- Tomasitas and Museum Hill Cafe, both in Sante; also Abiquiu Inn 1.5 hours from Santa Fe |
| weather |
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- 1st week: generally days spanning into the 60s, clear and some wind |
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- one day of spotty rain followed by 2 days of record breaking cold (low 30s daytime; teens night) |
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- a few warmer days reach above 80 |
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- another easy to take couple of "cold" days including snowfall to fairly low elevation |
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- first warmish night stroll |
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- warming trend here to stay starting March 1? (huge winds March 20) |