Labor Day Weekend, Phoenix AZ 2009
It's been three months since Boston.
This morning in Phoenix it's raining, but really raining doesn't seem to be the right word. Phoenix is sputtering angrily, a few drops, frustrated by it's own heat, and then BOOM a giant crack, flashes of light, smothering hot wet nothing happening but something is coming. Hours like that then suddenly BOOM again and lightning and crackling fire that can't be seen because the sky burst and it's coming down. Car alarms go off as the force of the water slams down, and streets are temporarily two inches of water as the storm drains gather it and pull it down into parched underground. Little absorbs in clay sand so droplets are bouncing back from the land and it's so forceful, so powerful, a few moments of a thorough beating, then it slows, usually stops. Goes back to sputtering, then nothing. As if nothing happened, and sun comes out, no rainbows, no promises, just warm drying heat rising to the hundreds again--so fast you can almost imagine the sizzle of steam.
Boston didn't rain like this. She was slow, deliberate, and then moody all day with changing droplets. And she was so cool once she decided it was time to let loose, in the dead of summer heat building to wet humid sticky moist flower and insect rich days and nights then days of low cool grey with the downpour alternating mist to light droplets to heavier to steady. I miss her sometimes, but not for the summer rain and her smothering mugginess. I miss her people, and the places that were mine when I was there.
Phoenix is not yet mine. He is still a bit unknowable, intimidating in his size, stretching forever sunrise to sunset and open skies flat with only distant peaks and those mountains are not high. But yesterday I found myself driving across his roads, barely navigating since I'm mostly clueless still on the geography, but I realized I was happy.
I am happy.
Yesterday was the first full day off in several months and the first time I went to a yoga class that I didn't teach since I've moved here. I tried Yin, holding each pose for the 3-5 minutes prescribed and hey, whether or not my chi and connective tissue is more open is debatable, but after the class I was even more supremely grateful for my being here. I drove back home, successfully managing shifting gears in a standard car, noting the nice wide lanes and palm trees under the hot hot sun, listening and singing along with what I suppose is the latin top 40 station, where English or Spanish doesn't matter, everything gets dj remix beats over the top and shorty on the dance floor spins into new Shakira and into older Mana.
The phone call from True Food came a few hours later, and I reached ecstatic. Back into the rigors of working the line in a full service busy restaurant I go, starting next week pantry (garde manger). The concept is great, and is Dr Andrew Weil (health guru) in partnership with restaurateur Sam Fox, operating a restaurant where good food doesn't kill you. Perfect fit for me as a working chef, yogini and personal trainer committed to balancing a love of gourmet food with what is sustainably both nutritionally and environmentally.
http://www.foxrestaurantconcepts.com/true_food_kitchen.html
Economy being what it is, I'm not hiring on at the level you'd expect, but with the way things are, I'm blissed out simply to have found a steady job that'll cover bare-bones budget. Oh, and working the a.m. pantry during the week and nights weekends means that my weeknights are free to teach yoga and fitness classes. That means much needed supplemental income, and free yoga and gym access if ever I actually do have another day off. Which may be a long time coming with two or three jobs at a time, but hey, I'm off until I teach yoga tomorrow a.m., and planning on crashing a free class in Central Phoenix today.
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