Beat by the heat

31 May 2018

A week of dry desert heat. The steering wheel in the Nissan Rogue was so hot Tuesday afternoon that I could barely touch it.

This was after two-plus hours in the sun while we toured and lunched at the Wrigley Mansion with Brother Tom and his wife Karen. Best views in town, overlooking Camelback Mountain, downtown Phoenix and, just down the hill, the Arizona Biltmore, which dates from the same era, the late 1920s. Naturally, the man who built the Biltmore – Frank Lloyd Wright – thought chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr.’s Italianate winter vacation home was an abomination.

Just for balance, we followed up the brightness of Wrigley with a walk through the dark interior of the Biltmore, still sleek and enduringly modern after all these years. Here, thankfully, there was a parking garage.

On Wednesday, we find shelter from the heat in the Phoenix Art Museum, where Monica had the closest encounter she’ll ever have with a Big Mac.

Meanwhile, we’ve had only two glimpses so far with the object of our travels, our honors high school graduate – grand-niece Edda Anderson, my nephew David’s oldest daughter.

First was her graduation party Sunday night at the home of her maternal grandparents, who have a big kitchen and a bigger back yard.

Second was Wednesday night at Chandler High School, during the pre-graduation picture-taking with the family out in front of the building.

Commencement was in the football stadium, which had baked all day in 104-degree sunshine. No seats left on the shady side of the bleachers by the time we walked in an hour before it started. A few empty seats remained on top at the other side of the field, the sunny side. Already beat by the heat, we didn’t bother to check them out.

Instead, we retreated to our airbnb, where we followed along on a live streaming broadcast and polished off most of the low-cal ice cream in the fridge.

It was a good choice. Individual presentation of the diplomas to more than 1,000 graduates, accompanied by endless cheering, lasted for an eternity. We never would have endured. Our girl apparently survived with flying colors. Here’s a shot from after the ceremony, courtesy of sister-in-law Karen.

Now that school’s out, we’re off to hang with that branch of the family tree this afternoon. Friday morning we catch the once-a-day direct flight to Buffalo on Southwest. That cool air is going to feel sooooo good.