Top 10 Reasons to Love Summer in Tucson!

Ahhh, Summer in Tucson...the sun, the heat, the electric bill, the...ummm...the heat.

Now, most folks that live here have found ways to deal with the heat, and those that haven't, well, they're called "snowbirds," and they book outta here as soon as the thermometer reads anything over 90 degrees. Or, they've got a ton of money and can afford to live atop the 9,000 foot summit of Mt. Lemmon in a tiny hamlet called, appropriately enough, Summerhaven.

I've decided to approach Summer In Tucson with a more positive attitude and have found there are some good reasons to embrace it. Herewith, my own personal statistics: official, honest and a true representational poll of, ahem, me.

So, here they are, my Top 10 Reasons To Love Summer In Tucson:

10. You never have to waste energy by using the "hot" or even "warm" settings on your washing machine. Selecting "cold" just gets you warm water, anyway, no matter what time of day or night it is, so hey, save money and save the planet by saving energy! No need to buy those expensive twisty light bulbs to save a few bucks.

9. As Wendy Layton says, "Feast's BBQ brisket!" Yes, folks, this is a sublime, smoky, tender and amazing beef bonanza, sure to create an addiction in even a quasi-vegetarian (you know who you are: love your veggies and tempeh, but crave the meat every now and then). I tasted, I drooled, I ate. All of it. Oh. My. God. She's right, being away from Tucson in the summer means no brisket and that, folks, is very sad indeed. Haven't been to Feast and tried it yet, you say? Well, go. Just go. 4122 E. Speedway, http://www.eatatfeast.com/.

Why haven't you left yet? You can read the rest of this later...

8. No need to heat up your kitchen with that darn stove or oven. Yes, you too can cook in your car! Just consider it your own personal (and very large) Crockpot. A slow cooker deluxe. Put your baking dishes on the dash, cover with plastic wrap or foil and go to work, the pool, Mt. Lemmon (in someone else's car, yours needs to stay put), or trolling for a side dish on aisle 12. If the folks at the UA (University of Arizona for the out of town readership) can do it, so can you. Wow, just think, no need to take your date out to a restaurant and then hope to get them in the backseat later on...just have the whole date right there in the parking lot, dinner to ahem, dessert!

7. Sexy summer hair is but 5 minutes away! Slather on the gel, mousse or other preferred hair product, hop in the car, crank open all the windows and drive up and down the street for 5 minutes. You'll be done and have that sexy, windblown, just-got-back-from-the-beach or just-got-out-of-bed look that celebrities pay $200 for. Same principle works on your laundry, but don't try to drive with a pair of 501's hanging out the window, that's just tacky. Think about your image.

6. Less people in town means less traffic means more ability to drive faster means better hair drying opportunities.

5. Need a hot shower but just don't wanna spend more on your electric bill by running that darn hot water heater? Simple, just turn on the cold water handle and soak it up. Like #10 up there regarding the washing machine, the cold water available right now, well, isn't. Maybe after hanging in there for about 15 minutes you might get some cool water, but cold? Not gonna happen, so just accept it and if you must have something cooler than tepid, dump a bunch of bags of ice from Circle K into a kiddie pool and get in quick before it melts!

4. The heat shimmer coming off the roads makes for a lovely and ethereal effect, which in turn creates peacefulness as you're traveling about in the heat, thereby keeping you cool as you commune with your inner guru and meditate on the meaning of life, now encased in a gauzy, wavy and shimmery opaqueness. Either that or the heat's getting you all dopey and you should really consider pulling over and drinking some water.

3. Restaurants offer cheap food deals! So many people book outta here and it's so hot that most folks just ain't gonna leave their air conditioned houses, so eating establishments need your patronage. They've gotta give their wait staff something to do besides fill those condiment bottles with the cheap ketchup they buy in those 10-gallon cans from China. So to avoid driving to your favorite restaurant only to find that they've gone on vacation as so many do, keep 'em cookin' and go out to eat while it's "Summer Deal Time!" Lots of places offer $20 For Two meal deals and stuff like that, so chow down for cheap while you can. The masses will be returning in late September and you'll never get a seat.

2. Your family and friends do not come to visit you. Who decides to spend their annual 2 weeks of vacation in the oven-baked desert when they could go to upstate New York or Six Flags over Iceland? And if one of Aunt Betty's cousins shoots you an email saying, "Hey cuz, we're coming to Tucson and staying with you!" you can simply hit reply and say, "Well, shoot, the air conditioning just broke and we can't afford to get it fixed...oh, and didn't we tell you that it's been 108 degrees for 6 weeks now and doesn't cool off until October?" No visitors will be knocking on your door, I practically guarantee it.

1. And my personal #1 reason to love Summer in Tucson? Mexican Ice Cream! Mango, Tamarindo, Coconut, Dulce de Leche, Guava...need I go on? I love ice cream any time of the year, but it's a million times better when it's so hot out that you literally need a hot pad to open your front door at lunchtime (well, I do). Other parts of the country don't have all the Mexican stuff in their grocery stores like we do, so this is the time to really go for the frozen gold and scoop up bowls full of the creamy, cold and delicious flavors of Mexico to be savored in your little air-conditioned adobe abode (oooh, alliteration - cool). So, you'll excuse me now while I head over to the kitchen and indulge.

Stay cool, everyone, and remember, Summer in Tucson = savings, relaxation, serenity and great eating!