Bob and Linda made it out to Tucson from Ohio last year. I wrote a piece, “Putting the Band Back Together,” describing their visit. I suspect what I wrote at the time will in the relevant part still apply today:
“This week has featured non-stop socializing. For one week, my dear friends, Bob and Linda, are visiting here from Ohio. Linda was Lee’s best friend. My friendship with Bob goes back to our days in high school.
Bob’s doctors have given him a clean bill at the moment, opening a travel window for him and Linda before his next round of medical tests and appointments. Barring a miraculous remission, Bob has a form of cancer that his doctors predict will take my old friend’s life in an uncertain but not-too-distant future.
We don’t take our friendship for granted. These days, every visit feels special and precious to me.
In addition to me, our mutual close friends Ross and Joanne, and Tom and Sherry, now permanently reside in Tucson. Also, Linda’s cousin has lived here for more than thirty years. Reasons enough for Bob and Linda’s current visit. Throw in the generally good weather, pleasant scenery, and a wide variety of activities, both outdoors and indoors, and you have all the ingredients for a splendid week among friends.”
***
Bob and Linda return tonight. I have been looking forward to seeing my friends once more. Robyn and I had a visit to Ohio planned around New Year’s Eve, but Bob was not feeling well and we had to cancel.
Now I use the occasion of their visit to splurge and hire professionals to thoroughly clean the spacious ranch house I’ve rented this season. You’d be amazed how much “living” one man and one wonder dog can accomplish in about a month, even with so much excess room available to them. So, at my request, the landlady had arranged for her “team” to come by the place yesterday.
Around 1:30 p.m., three all-business Latinas showed up at my front door. One woman spoke fluent English, however, as far as I could discern her associates did not. Based on their facial features, I inferred they must be related, perhaps a mother and two daughters.
At least one possessed a key because suddenly I had heard my front door being unlocked, and all three stepped inside, cleaning tools and supplies in hand, simultaneously announcing their arrival so as not to startle me. Of course, I’d been expecting them because watchful Lola had already sniffed them out and heard their approach. We had been sitting in our spacious backyard when the three women arrived, the landlady having requested me to keep Lola outdoors as one of these ladies was deathly afraid of dogs.
Predictably, the exuberant, good-natured pup tried using her 60-pound frame to push past me and into the house to properly greet the three officially with an overly enthusiastic display of tail wagging, possibly even a few wet kisses. Instead, I quietly welcomed them into our winter quarters. Later, as they prepared to leave, I quickly inspected their work. From their placement of a cutting board, and certain other small items, I could tell they were thoroughly familiar with the house and its contents and had developed a routine for cleaning the place efficiently.
Thankfully, yesterday was another perfect, sunny, and cloud-free day, and it was no problem waiting in our yard while they completed their work. Indeed, one of southern Arizona’s best attractions is its steady, predictable weather, much appreciated during these winter months when daily highs approach or exceed seventy-five degrees. If anything, temperatures this season are trending up, yet, it is still unusual to have daily highs in the upper seventies or low eighties in February.
The shitty weather in Cleveland where Bob and Linda reside is like the shitty weather that Lola and I would be experiencing back home. When they arrived last evening, my friends remarked how mild it felt. I had to agree, though typically the evenings here are cool once the sun sets.
They quickly got settled, then we went out for a late dinner. They each enjoyed several cocktails “to decompress” after a long travel day. I settled for a salted caramel milkshake, which was cool and creamy-delicious.
We “old” folks were returned home a little after 10 p.m. Then it was time to sleep. Early adventures awaited us tomorrow.
