What Happened to the Skinny AZ Part?

Now I bet your wondering when the "skinny AZ" part of this blog is going to kick in.  Well it turns out Phoenix has a pretty awesome food scene, so John and I have been eating our way through Phoenix AND Scottsdale, and it is delicious! So the skinny AZ part had been put on hold temporarily. But now that I have been here since June and am pretty settled at home and at work, I am ready to embark on the skinny AZ goal (plus my pants aren't fitting so well, so what better motivation/arm twisting). I usually will find any excuse to go shopping but the need for larger pants is not an excuse I am going to use.

I am working out with a trainer 3x/week and eating healthier. I plan to be in much better shape when I go home for Thanksgiving. That gives me approximately 10 weeks to get my sh*!t together.

Step one has been to stop taking an all or nothing approach to eating healthy and exercising. I used to think that if I couldn't work out for an hour and eat healthy everyday, that it was a fail, so why even try. My new motto is do what you can and try I catch the bug I've had once before in my life when I was addicted to being healthy. Hopefully surrounding myself with people who are addicted will get me there! My gym has a ton of people training for fitness competitions and my trainer, Doug, is a machine!

Now it is time to be T.N.T. dynamite!

Where Have You Been?!

So my friends have asked about my blog and I have been meaning to write another post but I had no idea that it had been over two months since my last post. Where have I been?! Well...

July was hot has hell here but I celebrated my 32nd birthday with JD and my high school friend Danielle with a painting class (minus JD for this part), wine, dinner and then a night on the town. It was a great birthday.

August was a blur, probably due to the heat. Arizona set new records for the number of consecutive days over 105 degrees. I learned that the hottest temperature ever in Phoenix is 122. I hope I'm not here to break that one. JD and I escaped the heat for a mini getaway to San Francisco and visited our good friends Linsday and Adam. We explored the city, acted like tourists and then went to the Outside Lands music festival at Golden Gate Park. And it was cool temperature wise! It was an awesome trip!

And welcome September and the height of monsoon season.  Conveniently, no one mentioned a monsoon season prior to me moving here. Turns out monsoon season consists of crazy rains, higher humidity but cooler temps. I will take it! I never thought I would spend so much time talking about the weather. We had our first real visitor over labor day weekend, my friend from law school Caroline, who visited from the east coast. We went hiking in Sedona and explored more of Scottsdale. The temperatures didn't give that weekend.

So that is where I have been. I will do a better job of blogging!

This Time Last Year...

I am currently in hibernation mode due to the current heat wave. Let's take a look at what I am accustomed to and what I am experiencing currently at 3:30 pm my time:


The high today was 118. My parents called me earlier this week to tell me they saw the weather forecast for Phoenix this weekend and suggested I investigate getting an automatic car starter as soon as possible.

In the past, when the temperatures exceed 120 here, the airport shuts down. They also sell cars here with cooling seats. I am at the exact polar opposite of where I grew up in Buffalo, NY. We too had automatic car starters but with heated seats and our hibernation took place in the winter, whereas here it takes place in the summer.

You can see that by Thursday, a "cold front" is moving in, and the high will drop to 106. I am still not adjusting very well to the heat. Once we hit 110, I am only leaving the house on the weekends in the very early morning to be back home by 10 am or after sundown.


Growing up (and even still today), my dad loves to reminisce by saying, "this time last year we were..." (he also does it with weeks and months).  I checked the weather for DC and was reminded that it was this weekend last year that was one of the worst weekends I had in a long time. We had my parents and uncle in town to go to the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club but the derecho came through and took down and tree, damaged my house and left us without power for almost a week.

Did I mention that John also got pulled over and ticketed for driving on an expired license that weekend (due to a DMV error that of course required going to court to correct), my parents' credit card was stolen while we were trying to get some relief from the heat at Pentagon City and we spent hours driving around Northern Virginia trying to find my uncle a hotel room since we were without power and it was in the 90s? The frustration and helplessness felt that weekend was stressful.

Remembering this weekend last year has put things in perspective for me today. I am home, relaxing with cold a/c, power, internet and all of our credit cards intact. That is a win in my book.

Now back to the "winter in summer" discussion. I wanted to know what people who live in this climate due when the temperature is this high. So I did some research. My findings are disappointing, at best.  Sure we can all think of the basics: mall, movies, bowling, museums, eat out. But there were very few suggestions I found outside the usual list. The only unique attraction I found was the Diamondbacks' baseball stadium that is covered and air conditioned and visiting Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West home.

I've been hanging out at Yogurtland (the root beer yogurt is amazing) to beat the heat but I am open to suggestions on ways to beat the heat! Let me hear your thoughts!

Where do all the preppy kids hang out?

JD and I began our Escape the Inferno road trip series this past weekend with a trip to Laguna Beach, where the temperature was enjoyable and we were able to lay by the pool, hike and play tennis, none of which is possible in Hellizona right now (shout out to Olivia for introducing me to this term).

We were finishing dinner on Saturday night at a great restaurant in Laguna Beach when the server said to us, "So where are you guys from?" Of course my immediate reaction is, what the hell? So it is THAT obvious that we aren't from around here that you automatically assume we are tourists?

When he walked away, JD and I discussed the possibilities. Maybe we sounded like we had an accent. Maybe he overheard us talking about our hotel. JD suggested that maybe I was too uptight to be from CA (quite the sense of humor he has).

So I asked the server when he came back to the table how he knew we weren't from Laguna Beach. I personally thought my outfit looked like something LC would wear (The Hills reference from those of you out of the loop) and JD was wearing light blue shorts, a polo and you guessed it, brown flip-flops.

His response? That JD's brown flip-flops and light blue shorts gave it away (Remy was right about the brown flip-flops).  He said guys there don't dress like that. Back in AZ, we have definitely noticed that we don't dress like the people here. JD's wardrobe was lacking RVCA, Quicksilver and Billabong.  My wardrobe is doing decent in terms of neon but lacking in Aztec and Native American prints.

Just before I arrived in AZ, JD was called out at a bar for wearing Sperrys and Kroakies. So when I arrived, I wondered, where do all the preppy kids hang out? Now we find ourselves in Pacific Sun and other stores that I have never stepped foot in before because when in Rome... I am slowly acclimating while JD seems to have dove in head first.

Today I am officially an Arizona resident.

Tomorrow I start at J.P. Morgan Chase as VP, Assistant General Counsel for the Collections Litigation Group. I am really excited to go in-house but could have used another week of vacay :)

"Welcome to Arizona, where summer spends the winter...and hell spends the summer"

We made it to Scottsdale Arizona and have spent the past few days acting like we are on vacation! We hiked Camelback mountain, visited the spa, hit up some great pools and checked out some new restaurants. Our apartment is just on the edge of Old Town Scottsdale. Here is a pic taken by Stinker in Old Town.

All great activities except when it is over 105 degrees. Every person who I told I was moving to Arizona in June responded, "don't worry, it's a dry heat." More like a dry-heave.  At least I am getting the worst part of the year over first. But after the temperature passes 100, it doesn't matter if it's dry heat, low humidity, cooler in the shade, etc. These are all excuses west coasters tell themselves in order to grin and bear it. It is hot as hell.

I have quickly learned to drive everywhere, even two blocks (seriously, I don't want to hear about my carbon footprint. I am driving a couple of blocks. Tree huggers should judge those who commute 30 miles each way a day, not my limited vehicle use).  The alternative? Swamp ass. Yup, it lives in dry heat just like it does in the humidity.

I have secured a new job here as in-house counsel in financial services and will be starting later this month, which gives me time to unpack, get settled, get some sun (only if I can make it to the pool between 6-7 AM) and start a new workout routine.  No renters yet in DC but I am still hopeful I will find tenants before the end of the summer.

Today is my first day solo in AZ and everything is going very well. Yesterday I had to send Stinker home to DC and it was very tough to say goodbye. We had a really great and smooth road trip (aside from Erikka's minor panic attack at 10,000 feet on the New Mexico aerial tram) and were fortunate enough to make it through Oklahoma City without encountering any tornadoes. I think that is mostly attributed to the fact that Stinker did all but 3 hours of the driving and I was the DJ.  We had zero fights and only a handful of "disagreements." We have both decided not to be sad that it is over but instead happy that it happened.

JD and I are ready for visitors! So start looking at your calendars...

Is this place weirder than Austin?

So Stinker and I arrived in Nashville today after 10 hours of driving. She got her way and did all the driving while I was the DJ and napped sporadically throughout the trip. No fights to report yet (sorry, Amy Gordon).

The extra hour gained in Nashville was great. We were downtown by 6pm and after doing some exploring, hunkered down at Rippy's for some outdoor BBQ, beer and live music. We made some friends from Wisconsin and soaked up the sun. They taught us about a loaded corona, which consists of pouring out the neck of the beer and filling it with Bacardi lemon.  Brilliant idea.

We did some great people watching. At one point, after seeing a guy in his 50s wearing a t-shirt that said "She wants the D," Stinker asked me, "Is this place weirder than Austin?"  She has not been to Austin yet. My answer: "No." Although Nashville has a lot more "free spirits" than the DC metro area, it still doesn't compare to Austin. Plus, downtown is probably not a good representation of those who live here, as the majority of people out downtown on a holiday weekend are probably tourists. But still...

Leaving the townhouse today was tough. I have lived in DC since 2001 (with a one year break back in Buffalo). I love DC, my home, my friends and family. But as my friend Bill Groh, who made a similar move a few years back recently told me, its like when you are high up and they tell you not to look down. Thanks Bill. So I am going to just keep looking forward.

Tomorrow the adventures continue with more car fun from TN to OK. It will take at least another 10 hours.

Here is Stinker's collage from Nashville (she is the photog of the family).

You Don't Know What You've Got Til Its Gone

For at least the last five years I have been fortunate enough to have my sister live less than 5 minutes away and my parents just 2 hours away, so I can see my family whenever I want or need to.  In less than 3 weeks, that is all going to change. It is almost like leaving home for college all over again (except that this time my life partner is waiting for me in AZ).

This past weekend was the last time the four of us would be together until probably Thanksgiving.  We had a really great, relaxing weekend together. We set up Skype accounts and talked about when everyone could visit AZ.

My mom pulled out some essays she found that Stinker had written in high school.  Her narrative essay was written right after she had returned from dropping me off to start my freshman year of college. Prior to me leaving for college, we fought constantly and pretty much couldn't stand each other starting in middle school. However, that all changed once I was away at college and it has been (mostly*) smooth sailing ever since.

*With the exception of snowmageddon after which we could no longer live together.

Yesterday Erikka read her high school essay out loud to my mom and me.  It is amazing how so many of the feelings she articulated in her essay are back again for both of us, now that I am moving across the country.  Stinker wrote "I honestly do believe the saying, 'You don't know what you have until it is gone' because I never appreciated how much my sister meant to me. I now realize how lucky I am to have someone who genuinely cares for me and with whom I can share everything: all my ups and downs, secrets and problems in my life."

That was 1999.  It is amazing how things can come full circle.  And I feel the exact same way. I am going to really miss my parents and close friends, but more than anything, I am going to miss my sister. I am going to miss our impromptu dinners together,  her cooking, our early morning trips to eastern market, our fro-yo runs, her acting like she can't stand Benny when in fact we know she secretly adores him, her criticizing my "assertive" driving skills, her always messy apartment, her no bullshit attitude and her sensitivity.

Fourteen years later, it is my chance to tell you, Stinker, that even though you too can sometimes be your "bossy self" (as was noted in the original essay), I feel the love that only a sister relationship can have.  I am finding it hard to imagine just what my life will be like without you 5 minutes away and how different my life will be soon. Thank you for always listening, counseling and being a great sister.

We now have the benefits of Skype, Facetime and unlimited minutes and data, so that takes a little of the sting away. But I have taken our proximity for granted and am going to desperately miss having you right around the corner. I am really looking forward to our road trip and am putting my money on us still speaking when we arrive in Scottsdale. Love you always Stink.

My AZ Peeps

So this is my new crew in AZ. Danielle and I went to high school together and she has been living in AZ for a few years with the cutest nugget, Ty. He loves the weather and washing machine cycles.  24 days until I leave for AZ and it is already in the 100s in AZ!

Have you seen Flea Market Flip on HGTV? Danielle has a house with a 2 car garage, so we are going to start buying old furniture and refinishing it and selling it as a hobby, just for fun, using her garage as our work space. We know nothing about refinishing furniture but hopefully after some online research and some Home Depot classes, we will be ready for garage and estate sales!

Other items on my bucket list to do with my AZ peeps include Diamondback games, hiking, biking, and hitting the pool!

My DC Bucket List

Once I decided I was moving to AZ, Stinker (aka Erikka) came up with the great idea of creating a DC Bucket List.  With only 34 days left in DC, I have a lot to get through still on my DC Bucket List, in no particular order:

1. Portrait Gallery
2. Newseum
3. Corcoran Gallery
4. Botanical Gardens
5. W Rooftop for Drinks and Old Ebbitt Grill for Happy Hour
6. Eastern Market and Teds Bulletin for Brunch
7. Cantina Marina
8. New Vegas Lounge
9. Monuments at Night
10. Jazz in the Garden
11. S'mores at the Georgetown Ritz
12. Picnic at Iowa Jima with Italian Store
13. Night in with a bottle of wine and my BFF Jacobs
14. Nats Game and Fairgrounds
15. JAAM Bar Crawl (ending at LA Bar and Grill for some karaoke)
16. Caps Game
17. Sunday Funday in Clarendon
18. Happy Hour on Sunny Day at Georgetown Waterfront
19. Meet Harper Schwartz Surbey

The Nats Game against the Braves was great (even though the Nats lost). Please feel free to leave comments with your favorite activities around DC! I am taking suggestions!

Time to get this place rented--I need your help!

Friends, Family, Buddies, Pals,

Due to my pending move to AZ, I have a beautiful, fully furnished townhouse that I have put much time and love into making it exactly how I wanted it for the past five years only to have to pick up and leave to allow someone else to enjoy it. So I am looking to rent my place to someone that I know or that someone I know can vouch for (as in, "no AG, this guy doesn't get so black out drunk on the weekend that he occasionally pisses the bed or mistakes the closet as the toilet." Don't act like you don't know at least one person like this. I know several). I'm not interested in renting to people that have these "tendencies" because I plan to come back and live here again. So I am desperately trying to avoid renting to people who there is a good chance will f* up my place. Just sayin.

So here are the deets:

Beautiful 3 level fully furnished end unit townhouse has a garage, a reserved parking spot, guest parking and plenty of non-metered street parking at the end of a quiet dead end street conveniently located with easy access to Route 50, Washington Boulevard and 395. Cable, internet and utilities are not included in monthly rent. The home has high efficient appliances, including washer dryer on the third floor. The first floor includes the foyer, the garage, a half bath, the den with access to the patio. The second floor has an open floor plan with the living room, dining room and eat-in kitchen. The third floor has two master size bedrooms, each with a private full bath. Fenced-in patio is private and includes gas grill and patio set for your use. Because this is an end unit, this home has plenty of windows and gets plenty of sunlight throughout the day. The den has a treadmill and can be used as a home gym or a family room.

Available May 26, 2013 for a one year lease or longer. Monthly rent is $3,300. Security deposit of $3,300. Pets upon approval.  Address is on S. Wise Street (zip is 22204) and is close to Clarendon but even closer to THE PIKE. What's the Pike? Columbia Pike people! If you haven't been there, check out William Jeffreys.  Sorry, I got side tracked.

I live in a great community that is quiet and my neighbors are considerate. I am happy to show the townhouse to anyone interested. Some photos below. Have anyone interested email me agleckel@gmail.com. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!

End Unit

1st Floor Den/Workout Room

Open Kitchen

Eat-in Kitchen

Full Bath

Energy Efficient Appliances

1st Master Bedroom

2nd Master Bedroom

Den with Half Bath

Living Room

Den with Fireplace and Access to Patio

Dining Room

Patio with Grill and Patio Set (not shown)

Living Room

Cherry Bookcase

Desk and Bookcase Storage

40 days and counting...

In 40 days, my sister and I begin our road trip from DC to AZ for my move.  She kindly offered to accompany me on the drive out west and will fly back to DC.  Hopefully we will still be on speaking terms when we make it to AZ. She really dislikes my driving, so our odds are 50/50.

We will hit Nashville, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque and finally Scottsdale. It will take us 4 days and we will cover 2285 miles together. We tried living together 4 years ago and that was a huge fail, so hopefully this trip doesn't end in a similar disaster of not speaking to each other for a week afterwords.

I am going to blog to stay connected to my friends since in AZ, I only have one friend other than JD (well two if kids count: love you Danielle and Ty).

I mentioned to my friends Jacobs and Melissa that I was planning on blogging and they asked if I am going to be as funny online as I am in person. I think being funny in print is much more challenging than in person but I am going to give it my best shot. I think it is my delivery and charisma that makes me funny so I am going to have to find a way to translate that into my posts. Please bear with me...

JD has been living and working in AZ since February and really loves it. I am excited (and nervous) about my big move. I have given notice at my job and pushed myself outside my comfort zone by moving without a  new job lined up. I might have lost my mind.

Here. We. Go.