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Eventually we got going. We waited for James to check the web to see if he had been offered a place at any of the US universities he had applied to. Soon the news came: an offer from Princeton with a good package. We performed a group hug of collective happiness and relief. So with a spring in our steps we set off to do a 3.3 mile walk around historic Tucson, using Kate's Arizona Guidebook which has the walking route mapped and described. You would think with the grid system, we could not go wrong: wrong, we could go wrong. We trailed around some of the important sights, but lost our way after a while. Eventually we lucked on the Tucson Visitor Centre, where the helpful information staff gave us loads of leaflets, information and most importantly a better, more detailed map. Armed with this we made an early stop to have cold drinks, and then went by the Cathedral, which is an utterly charming Hispanic building with four palm trees lined up in front. Then we made our way under the railway track to hippy Fourth Avenue, where James supplied himself with some cool shades. We got back to the house around 17:00 to find Kate and Freya busy in the kitchen. Soon afterwards, Zaria and Chidi came in.
Our evening has been a happy chaos of reading stories to the girls, evening baths, Margharitas in the garden, and discussion of James's academic dilemma! We are resolved on an early night. The lads are tired, and I am a bit tired too.
This morning I am sitting at the window looking at a tree covered in orange blossom (The picture to the right is the view I can see as I write). We arrived here after midnight, but there were Kate, Chidi and nephew James all up and smiling. We had bowls of soup, large glasses of sparkling water and small glasses of sparkling Prosecco.Our buoyant Arizona Shuttle driver collected us on the dot of 22.30, a baker's dozen of people going to Tucson, most of them from the same BA flight. He took one look at Oksy and summoned him to sit in the front seat: the rest of us were relegated to the back. As he drew away from the curb, he handed back individual bottles of water, and gave us a summary of how long he thought the trip would take. He asked if anyone wanted to be met at any of the four Tucson Shuttle stops by a taxicab, and used his mobile to fix that up for one of the passengers. For the rest of us, he promised to let us know 30 minutes before arrival at each stop, so that we could "use our cells to call our folks to come and pick us up". Feeling at last that I could relax, I fastened my seat belt, rested my cheek against the window, and slept for about an hour, a happy Arizona Shuttle customer!Kate and Chidi have been lent a picturesque old Mexican house in the centre of the older part of Tucson. It is a quaint bungalow type building, surrounded by a sweet garden, within eyeshot of the Arizona Museum of Art and other downtown amenities, but a quiet, magic oasis of peace for all that. All I can hear just now is the clock ticking, and the occasional moan of a distant train. It has a flat roof you could sleep on in hot weather (though currently approached by a rotting wooden staircase), and a covered outside corridor, roofed with those curved tiles you see in Spain. Inside it is cool, with a spacious tiled living area, and various charming little tiled niches in the wall. Kate has brought some of her mother's old furniture out of store, and spread her Afghan rugs and Tajiki throws. There is a stunning central African mask above the fireplace from her time there. I am sleeping in the Annex, which is just as charming as the main house. I feel like taking up residence there for a year! It has everything one person could ever need ... with the added bonus of two grandchildren nearby (Of course there would be the terrible wrench of the other gorgeous grandchild on the other side of the pond, so it's not going to happen!). As I went across to bed, I felt quite delirious with the scent of orange blossom: citrus and honey.This morning I saw the resident family off to school, washed a few dishes, and have put on a fresh batch of coffee while I wait for my lads to awaken: they are totally exhausted, however, we have planned to go to the gym and the Art Museum today, both within walking distance. But we won't drive ourselves hard as today is total holiday. Time to savour the orange blossom, not to wake up and smell the coffee!
Well here we are, in the seating area reserved for Arizona Shuttle customers. The Arizona Shuttle is a sort of SUV/Mini Bus which goes to and from Tucson and a few other towns in Arizona to Phoenix Airport. We are waiting for the 22.30 shuttle to Tucson having failed to arrive for the 18:30 shuttle. That word "clockwork"used in my previous post, has a bit of a hollow ring as our long haul flight was over 3 hours late taking off - delayed by a little accident when the skyway was being decoupled: the skyway moved and dented or damaged an inspection door, which then had to be completely replaced. While this was being done, all the passengers were sweltering in the plane.
Once the flight got going, it was smooth enough. Oksy and I took the back row window and aisle seats, as they are a pair as opposed to a threesome and there is a little space between the seats and the window where you can stash stuff. The BA staff were all very pleasant going out of their way to be friendly - the pilot especially: Captain Paul Russell (I think).
On arrival at Phoenix, there was the usual long, long immigration procedure, and I find that they need ALL your fingerprints now ( a couple of years ago it was just your forefingers). The immigration official asked Oksy and me lots of questions in a friendly way, but they were pertinent enough. Has Oksy travelled in the Middle East at all (No, but his Mum has)...
Phone calls to Tucson to let them know the score. We expect to get there about midnight.
Well we are on our way. Here I am sitting in Heathrow's Terminal 5, tapping away on my netbook, after discovering a pay as you go internet service provider. Oksy is doing sudokus and I have been doing email. We got up at a reasonable time this morning and our airport taxi arrived punctually to take us painlessly to Manchester Airport. Because everything went like clockwork, we had ages to wait around in Manchester airport, enough time to read as much of the Guardian as I wanted and to do the sudoku and quick crossword. The "snack" on the plane to Heathrow was a cup of tea, coffee or juice and a muesli bar - not quite enough for us as we hadn't had time or the inclination to have breakfast before we left. Now, unbelievably, we are actually looking forward to whatever is offered us on the next flight !
Just a busy weekend to navigate - numerous chores and appointments on Friday, and a birthday party in London on Saturday - then we will close the door on our home, and join the restless travelling world. Once I have a boarding card, I always feel rather like a labelled parcel with no will of my own as I follow one instruction after another - "Go to Gate N", "Fasten your seatbelt", "Enjoy your flight" etc. It is curiously relaxing actually. I am hoping I've not lost my handy knack of being able to drop off to sleep at the beginning of a long haul flight, and then to remain in a reasonably happy coma for as many hours as it takes.
I set up a Keepsafe arrangement for our snail mail with the Post office. This charged service ensures that the Post office holds onto your mail for the weeks you are away, and then delivers it all in one fell swoop the day after you get home. It was extraordinarily easy to set up over the phone, with an empathetic, efficient human being on the other end of the line. Alternatively, you can do it online but then you need to allow at least 5 working days before you want the arrangement to kick in. Hats off to the Post Office.
On the issue of mail, I noticed a big surge of spam today in my email in tray the like of which I have not seen before. Just my luck to hit a spam spike when I may not be able to access email regularly to clean things up. Did a big delete and tidy up anyway, and maybe it will calm down tomorrow.
One horrible task awaits me before departure: sorting out a space in the garage to park the car. There are two old single beds there which I was loathe to throw away: now I wish I had. I tried the furniture recycling people but they need modern bedding with fire retardant labels on them, and I don't think we have those. The beds are OK though - it seems a pity that I may have to strap them to my trailer and take them to the nearest waste reception centre.
It seems to be an enormous undertaking to close the front door on your home for 5 weeks - bigger than if you were going for 5 months or 5 years, in some ways. At least then you know that you have to switch off the fridge and the water, or get a house sitter or a tenant. I have told the milkman we are going away, and when in person, but am worried in case he forgets - he did once idiotically leave bottle after bottle of milk on my doorstep over a week's absence: I am therefore craftily "testing" him out by cancelling the milk 5 days before we leave, to make sure he has registered our temporary cancellation!!
Another thing on my mind is the welfare of my small garden. I am in a frantic spate of gardening, now that at last the weather is gloriously spring like, in the hope that vicious pruning, weeding along with strong attacks on slugs and snails will mean that the May garden I come back to will show some signs of being a garden, and at least rescu-able for the rest of the Summer. My favourite ramblers and other shrubs are getting a very generous mulch and feed, but sowing my pots of basil, parsley and salad greens will have to wait until I get back ... frustratingly. Yes 5 weeks is a difficult interval of time: it's just too long to leave pots of seeds to germinate and generally take care of themselves in self watering pots, under a water-saving cover of clingfilm - this usually works beautifully for about 3 weeks, though. Try it, if you haven't before.
We bought dollars this week - horrifications! Compared to this time last year, your UK pounds buys a sad amount. No rash of shopping for me in the USA this time around! I have bought my little grand daughters' books and handicraft kits in pounds, and any treats while I am there will be cheapskate ones.
