Give me a reason other than "no snow"! (construction, schools)

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

All of that is true. However, every year since 1999 (with the exception of 2008) has had below normal rainfall. During that timeframe, we even experienced the driest year in history, which was 2002. This region has been in a continuous drought, and it's because we have seen a lack of precipitation (even for Phoenix). And I'm sure you'll admit with all your research that Phoenix is situated in one of the WETTEST deserts on earth. On average, we are not this dry!

Depending on what you call "region" we are not in a drought. The drought has ended - to the extent that highly variable precipitation patterns actually have a beginning and an end. The Salt River lakes have filled to over-flowing the past two years. We have a real risk of valley flooding this year if we have a "wet" winter. Water in the Salt is quite likely given that this could be an El Nino year (I am not a big adherent of the El Nino theory, but it is there). Lake Powell is up 33 feet from what it was on this date two years ago, 10 from last year, and the Colorado watershed snowpack is already above normal for this time of year.

The deserts are dry, no doubt, and I'd like to see some rain. But overall, our water situation is greatly improved from what it was a couple years ago thanks to back to back wet winters on the watersheds. From a water supply perspective, it really doesn't make much difference what happens in the deserts.

[twiggy]

Originally Posted by fcorrales80

LOL, right!

Just keep in mind you don't scrape sunshine off your windows, slip on "black" sunrays sticking to the road (black ice), live without serotonin and other feel good natural brain chemicals from sunshine in the gloom and gray filled sky...

But, give it a try...you never know what your favorite "flavor" is unless you take a bite.

Stinka, yes, oh and please pass the butta for my fresh steamed Lobsta I'm eating as I lay on the beach in August with a high of 78! Oh, yea, lets meet in New York City tomorrow and go shopping! What, really, only 6 hours to London? Great! It's not all bad, just the black ice. I figure it's about as dangerous as the "snowbirds". lol

And by the way, all that other stuff, I have a husband for. he he he he

Oh, and surprise, surprise, my mother was given vit. D supplements because she lacks it here during the summer. The doc said a lot of people do because they don't go outside enough because of the heat. Weird, huh? I was very surprised by that one. I think California is the place that you don't ever lack vit. D, or get depressed unless you just went through a 7.8 earthquake, thats a little depressing. lol Been there, done that, scary...
Figures the one day I was in Cali the Northridge quake would happen. ha ha
My kinda luck!

[twiggy]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Depending on what you call "region" we are not in a drought. The drought has ended - to the extent that highly variable precipitation patterns actually have a beginning and an end. The Salt River lakes have filled to over-flowing the past two years. We have a real risk of valley flooding this year if we have a "wet" winter. Water in the Salt is quite likely given that this could be an El Nino year (I am not a big adherent of the El Nino theory, but it is there). Lake Powell is up 33 feet from what it was on this date two years ago, 10 from last year, and the Colorado watershed snowpack is already above normal for this time of year.

The deserts are dry, no doubt, and I'd like to see some rain. But overall, our water situation is greatly improved from what it was a couple years ago thanks to back to back wet winters on the watersheds. From a water supply perspective, it really doesn't make much difference what happens in the deserts.

Aw yes, the big drought, thats on my mind as much as the "big one" thats taking down Cali, or Seattle. The dust bowl comes to mind. It could happen, will happen, but if it does then we will "get it". ha ha We don't seem to get that stuff before it happens, to many variations of scenarios to digest. Besides, Phoenix won't conserve, they will just make Pason and Strawberry do it for us. lol
I can't even take on the AZ government, much less mother nature.
I'll send some water if this occurs, k!

[krock1dk]

Originally Posted by fcorrales80

What state is this NOT happening in right now??? None, it is true of ALL states and one just needs to look at unemployment rates. Arizona STILL is at the bottom of those lists. And Arizona is only 45% desert buddy...so not all "sparcely populated desert." All your post talk about some Arizona where it is a horrible desert from every corner of the state. Moderator cut: rude

Newsflash: the entire state of a Arizona is a desert, because it receives less than 12-inches of rain per year, wheather you live in Flagstaff, Sedona, Phoenix, Tucson or Yuma. Just because it aint sand, dont mean it aint desert. ALL of Arizona is considered a desert.Moderator cut: rude

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by krock1dk

Newsflash: the entire state of a Arizona is a desert, because it receives less than 12-inches of rain per year, wheather you live in Flagstaff, Sedona, Phoenix, Tucson or Yuma. Just because it aint sand, dont mean it aint desert. ALL of Arizona is considered a desert. Moderator cut: rude .

That is a very unscientific definition of a desert. And the 12 inch figure statewide is woefully inaccurate- http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/pcpn/az.gif. The definintion I learned in school is that a desert is where annual evaporation exceeds annual precipitation. Much of Arizona is NOT a desert - by your definition or mine. Do your research.

[Xica_da_Silva]

I lurve Arizona and Phoenix. Passionately. Shamelessly. With big wet sloppy Golden Retriever kisses. But I was born and grew up in South Florida, so maybe I'm a bit cracked to begin with. Big fan of Dave Barry, btw, who understands how to embrace the madness of a place.

And yes, I think we should include the entire state since the original post was about the state. As an Arizonan, I want to get 'credit' for Sedona and the Canyon(especially the North Rim)...and the Meteor. Now, how many states can say they have a meteor site?! Please. Ok, maybe a few. But the access to these marvels of nature was one of the main reasons I moved out here(although I am fortunate to have a career that could allow me to settle down in almost any urban place I wanted...I chose Phoenix).

Anyhow, here is my list of what I love about my state, and my beloved Phoenix:

1) No daylight savings time(ok, maybe not Navajo Nation, but you get my point). As a former isomniac, this trying to mess about with my time-clock irked me to no end when I lived in SoFla.

2) Pretty highways: even in Phoenix! Try driving 202 from say, Country Club Blvd westward towards 101 and it's impossible not to be dazzled by the bougainvilleas, palms, and bas-relief carvings. Look how clean it is...and mostly graffiti-free. Even our wannabe gang-bangers don't try to ruin it. They know we've got a good thing going. And since most of us Phoenicians spend a great deal of time on our highways, why not enjoy them?
Then, drive up the slow route alt-89 from Sedona to Flagg...look at the lovely pines, the streams, the dizzying cliffs. Awesome!
Notice all the pretty yellow wildflowers blooming in Flagg. Say hi to majestic Mt. Humphries, at about 13,000 ft!
Then, drive all the way up to Page and check out the changing sand colors...from red, to green, to chocolate brown, to blue. Looks like a different planet. No need to have NASA send us to Mars...we're already there! Stop on your way to Page at Horseshoe Bend. Eye-popping beauty...you think you can find this in Boston?! Nah...
Then, keep going and see the Vermillion Cliffs. WOW! How can you not fall in love with this state?! And then for the climax...look at what took millions of years to create...that mankind, no matter how screwed up, with all its bombs and bluster, can't destroy, because you can't destroy a hole! The big bad terrorists can destroy us all but they can't destroy The Grand Canyon, baby! Major WIN!!! Or head east and see Monument Valley...and realize we are so spoiled! Mother Nature has provided abundantly for us, we just need to appreciate her bounty! Ok...so maybe she sometimes overdoes it with the heat and dryness and all that. Whatever. Still must give Mama props!

3) Our ghettos aren't that bad. Dare I say without embarrassing our local gangsters: it seems our thugs like hugs, not drugs. Good on them! For example, I wouldn't be afraid to walk by myself in any part of Phoenix during the daytime, and I'm a female. At night...maybe a few. But let's face it, Phoenix doesn't have the rep that other cities do for being dangerous.

4) Baby white tigers. Need I say more?! Btw, haven't they been 'babies' for like, 5 years now? Will they ever grow up?!

5) Tess Rafols and Brittney Shipp, and Good Morning, Arizona in General: No pretenses to be a 'serious' news channel, just flat out entertaining and fluffy. And 2 gorgeous women with sparkling personalities to wake up to.

6) Music scene: This means a lot to me, maybe not to those who aren't musicians. But when I lived in Boston (Berklee College of Music), there was a level of snobbery and cutt-throatery...not a supportive atmosphere at all. So far, here in Phoenix, everyone seems to appreciate each others' different musical aspirations and interests, and the vibe is very relaxed and encouraging. I know this because I play and sing a style of music that isn't that popular (bossa nova, in Portuguese, to boot). And yet, people have been really open to it, even though they may really dig country music or rock music first.

7) Laid-back culture: When I moved out from SoFla, one of the things that struck me is how most of the kids in service jobs here are pretty darn sweet and polite...whether it be Safeway or Taco Bell. And when I'm driving, I can usually count on someone letting me pull over into their lane, as long as I put my turn signal on. My mom and I got locked out of the car the other day at a gas station and a dude offered us change to make a call to triple-A. Not really uncommon here in PHX.

8) Mexican culture: For all the whining about illegals...which yeah...there are def. some legit complaints about logistically attempting to assimilate millions of people in a small amount of time, especially impoverished ones...overall I think the Mexican culture is a nice feature of this city.(Note: generalizations to follow) I see how my Mexican friends are very family oriented and incredibly generous. No matter how poor a Mexican person is, I've seen how they will be willing to help someone worse off. When I saw the movie "Day After Tomorrow", even though most of the movie was typical disaster flick silliness, it did strike me as almost true that Mexicans, if the tables were turned and we needed to cross the border to survive, would probably take us in. I think they would connect it with a Catholic charity concept...kind of like taking in Joseph and Mary. They are not so materialistic as we are, which is a good thing. We are a country obsessed with money and status. Which has its good and bad, but I think this leaves many feeling empty and betrayed when the investment in the material doesn't pan out in lasting happiness.

9) My mom lives here. Having family, friends, a social network makes life worthwhile. If I rode a motorcycle, I would join a riding group. If I enjoyed the theatre, I would reach out to others that did the same. Now that there's the internet, no one should feel isolated, or unable to find others who have the same interests.

10) Neighborhood options: In Phoenix, you can really live in almost any type of neighborhood you want. Want to live in a liberal, urban setting? There's downtown. Want a historic home with green grass and trees. There's historical homes. Want a nice suburb with good schools and a free natural gym? Live in Ahwatukee. Want to own horses and live on a ranch. Try Gilbert. Want access to super shopping and upscale dining? Try Scottsdale. Want to live in a nice quiet retirement community? Try Sun City.

11) Phoenix takes a certain je-ne-c'est quois to appreciate and survive: Phoenix is like a crucible. If you are rugged enough to survive then you get the goodies. Kind of like 'Survivor'. We are a rugged, cowboy/girl people. Heats, guns, dust. Just the basics. It's not that we survive the heat, even. It's that we even enjoy the suffering a little bit. I like to see how long I can go without air-conditioning and wear it as a badge of pride. Suffering builds character!

And if you want decent enough sports role models for kids to look up to, you could do a lot worse than Fitz and Warner(and quite a few others).

[fcorrales80]

Twiggy, what you will be trading for Arizona in Massachusetts is heavy taxation and a HUGE gap between the poor and wealthy. The middle class in Massachusetts struggles and unless you make an enormous amount of money, can be in financial trouble. While many suburban schools in Mass are good, the cities are NOT! The black population in Mass suffers the most and is also the poorest as the rift between social economic sustainability is MUCH larger. So while you lament some of the school conditions here, you are lucky you will be in P-Town, away form similar situations in Boston and the urban areas of New England. You are just trading one situation for another and biased statistics that try to paint a different picture...

[fcorrales80]

Originally Posted by krock1dk

Newsflash: the entire state of a Arizona is a desert, because it receives less than 12-inches of rain per year, wheather you live in Flagstaff, Sedona, Phoenix, Tucson or Yuma. Just because it aint sand, dont mean it aint desert. ALL of Arizona is considered a desert. Do your research.

Moderator cut: rude First off Phoenix, Tucson, and Yuma are in the desert but Sedona is located in a transition zone; desert, shrub/grassland, to varying forests of pine, deciduous and scrubland...

Flagstaff sees 3 times the amount of precipitation as Phoenix; it receives 22.91 inches of precipitation annually (on average) and 101 inches of snow during the winter...hardly desert as deserts receive 7-8 inches or less. Arizona does have barren tundra (not much unlike in Alaska) that is a semi-arid "cold desert" and not your typical cacti studded hot desert that you are convinced covers the entire state.

[Wyoming Darrell]

What is all the complaining about poor quality education? Didn't Bush2 sign in "no child left behind"? Didn't that take care of the problem?
Don't bother flaming me, my son and 4 others in my family are teachers,too, and I already know the answer.

[twiggy]

Originally Posted by fcorrales80

Twiggy, what you will be trading for Arizona in Massachusetts is heavy taxation and a HUGE gap between the poor and wealthy. The middle class in Massachusetts struggles and unless you make an enormous amount of money, can be in financial trouble. While many suburban schools in Mass are good, the cities are NOT! The black population in Mass suffers the most and is also the poorest as the rift between social economic sustainability is MUCH larger. So while you lament some of the school conditions here, you are lucky you will be in P-Town, away form similar situations in Boston and the urban areas of New England. You are just trading one situation for another and biased statistics that try to paint a different picture...

I don't want to argue which state is better, I can't, and it's not about that really, I'm sure if we did tit for tat they would be about the same eventually. I just need a change, and so I think I'll try the one in the top 10 of most of my stats and see if it makes any difference. You never know until you try, right? I might like different things than you, or learn different lessons. Let me grow up on my own dad, ha ha, I know it's scary, but life is an adventure, right?
Im joking with you, but really, I need to see for myself, you might be wrong or you might be right but I have no idea where I belong. lol
I'm happy here despite the faults I have with it most of the time, we have an income based on construction, service plumbing and education, not a good fit here ya no, but I need to go and have a couple of questions answered, life is short, then off to England! Maybe France? Who knows, I will keep you posted. Not going to sit and complain forever, just for a little bit.