Tucson, AZ: Temporary Home #2

Temporary Tucson home #2, Tucson, Arizona. March 2019.

This was my temporary Tucson home #2 for about six weeks.

Temporary Tucson home #2, Tucson, Arizona. March 2019.

Temporary Tucson home #2, Tucson, Arizona. March 2019.

Again, the serendipity of direct and indirect networking brought me here.


Back in Las Cruces, there was that evening I went to contra dancing. While there, a woman approached me:

She said, "Are you the person who's moving to Tucson?"
I said, "Yes!"
She said, "My name's Katie. Someone pointed you out to me, and said that I might want to talk with you. I live in Tucson, but I'm thinking of moving to Las Cruces."

We chatted a bit, then exchanged contact information so I could ring her up when I landed in Tucson.

Temporary Tucson home #2, Tucson, Arizona. March 2019.

About a month later ....

1. I hit Tucson late on a Saturday afternoon.
2. Saturday night, I texted Katie and explained I was in town, could I buy her a cup of coffee in the next couple of days, and would she kindly spill a bean or two on what's what in Tucson?
3. Katie and I agreed that Monday would be a good time to meet, and she selected a coffee place near the university.

On Monday morning, we got together. It was a cool, sunny, breezy day, and we sat out on the cafe patio. There were orange trees.

From Katie, I learned about the Threshold Choir, of which she is a member. More on this here and here.

Temporary Tucson home #2, Tucson, Arizona. March 2019.

I told Katie I sought a place to live - an apartment, a casita, or if the circumstances were right, a rental in someone's house.

It just happened that .... 

Katie had a friend who, that very day, was moving into a communal house, and that there was one more room available - if it hadn't yet been spoken for - that I might want to look at.

Temporary Tucson home #2, Tucson, Arizona. March 2019.

Aiee, the price was high! But for a month or so, with utilities 'n all included, I could swing it, giving me ample time to find my one-year Tucson place.

Katie called her friend, and lo! Angels were singing, as said friend informed Katie that, yup, the room was still available, and we could hie over there right then and take a look.

Katie graciously drove us both over to the house. I scanned the place, was able to talk with the landlady (who's out of the country for an extended time), negotiate the rent, test the internet connection, and take note of the following amenities:

• Large furnished bedroom with a lovely view and plenty of space for me to work online; 
• Fast internet (essential for my work); 
• Three-quarter bathroom for my private use, although it was down one floor from my bedroom; 
• Side garden with outdoor furniture, colorful plants, pleasing ambient bird sounds, and visual entertainment of lizards zipping up and down and around;
• Ample parking; and
• Colony of gregarious ground squirrels in the front yard. 

Temporary Tucson home #2, Tucson, Arizona. March 2019.

I moved into my Tucson temporary home #2 the next day.

I became the sixth of a group of housemates: four women and two men. Each of us had our own sleeping room. Two of us had a private bath, and four of us shared two bathrooms. There was an additional full bathroom downstairs for community use.

My gratitude to Katie for being the kind conduit for my temporary arrangement!