Back to Mesa...Again

What I miss least about Mesa: the summer temperatures!

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Going to Mesa was not in my plans for yesterday, but here I am. The tenants in the house we inherited had not vacated the premises by Monday morning, as ordered by the judge, so that meant going back to the Valley to address the issue. Thankfully, that same evening I  was able to book three nights in the only available unit at the WorldMark resort in nearby Scottsdale (twenty minutes from the Mesa house), and I quickly packed for a six-day stay, hoping in the rush that I didn't forget anything I'd need.

The original plan for our entire family was to drive to Mesa tomorrow (Thursday), the day of Jacob's arrival. The kids and Mark had arranged to take Thursday and Friday off so we can all be there to greet Jacob and help him move in. Unfortunately, since they were all scheduled to work Tuesday and Wednesday, this early start of the trip was going to have to be made on my own, alone.

I left Lakeside at 6:00 Tuesday morning and arrived in Mesa at 8:45. My first stop was at the glass company I hired a week ago to fix the broken front window of the Mesa house by this Friday, but they still hadn't taken the measurements or ordered the glass for the job. I'm quite frustrated, since I hired them early enough to complete the job on time, but now that isn't going to happen. They're finally coming to take the measurements tomorrow afternoon, which means the window won't be replaced until sometime next week.

Next, I cruised by the Mesa house to see if it was still occupied. There were two vehicles parked in front and piles of stuff in the yard yet to be moved. From there, I drove straight to West Mesa Justice Court and filed for a Writ of Restitution. This eviction has been costly, about $300 so far. Today, the constable called and arranged to meet me at the house tomorrow afternoon, to force the eviction and return possession to me. I hope all the tenants will finally be gone by then so no "force" will be needed.

May 29, 2018: Signs of occupancy still there on Tuesday morning.

Once court was taken care of, I went to Bass Pro Shop to find an adapter for my electric ice chest. Instead, I left the store with two new shirts I really liked. Then I went to lunch at Carl's Jr. for my beloved Super Star lettuce wrap. It was 11:00 by that time, five hours since I'd eaten breakfast before leaving home.

Right about that time, Mark's aunt called me, in a tizzy, exclaiming, "You need to do something!" Oh no, more drama. It seems that the twenty-something son of one of the tenants had decided he was not going to move out of the house with the others, and no one could make him. In his mind, it was his house, not ours, so he was refusing to leave. I told Wilma not to worry. I had no intention of engaging this young man. If he was still there when the constable showed up, he would be removed.

Somehow, the facts got distorted and the young man's mother (the original tenant) was told that I'd threatened to "call the cops on him," which upset her. Angrily, she told Wilma she was coming to get him and make him leave. I hope she was successful. My fondest wish is that the house will be empty tomorrow and this will all be over. While I have no problem with standing up for myself, I do try to remain rational and avoid the drama whenever possible. It stresses me out too much!

However, the young man's behavior does explain why the front window didn't get measured and ordered last week. The glass techs showed up on Thursday, but they were turned away by a young man who assured them, "There's no broken window here." Guess who? Even last week he was doing his best to sabotage us! (Nonetheless, once the plot was discovered, the glass company should have made an extra effort to get this matter taken care of on time.) 

The rest of the tenants (five adults altogether) claim to be moved out, although no one has turned over the house keys yet. They legally return possession to me, as the court ordered, when the keys are in my hands. I hope the transition goes smoothly tomorrow.

My parents' Mesa home from March 1980 to May 1990.

The little trees my dad planted 38 years ago are now huge!

Check-in time at the Scottsdale resort is 3:00, so after handling the court matter yesterday, I still had a few hours to fill and nowhere to just hang out. Yesterday's temperature hit 103 degrees before 1:00, limiting my options, since I had food in my ice-less ice chest that I didn't want baking in the back of my car too long with the engine turned off. The chest keeps food cool by using the car's battery.

Then it occurred to me that it had been many years since I revisited the places in Mesa that were once meaningful to me. So I started out with a drive-by "shooting" (via camera) of the house my parents, siblings, and I once lived in. LeRoy, Karla, Jeff, Darryl, and I were all still single when our family relocated from Yorba Linda, California, to Mesa, Arizona, in early March 1980. I lived in that house for nine years, until June 1989, when Mark and I got married. My parents sold the house and temporarily moved to Utah almost a year later.

The church in Mesa where our family attended 39th Ward.

From there, I moved on to other personal points of interest throughout the town, such as the LDS stake building where our family attended church and served in various callings.

Westwood High School, where I taught for nine years.

And the high school where I worked as an instructional aide from August 1980 to January 1989, and then returned to do my student teaching during the spring 1990 semester. Some may wonder why I sometimes say I was a teacher for 27 years and other times that I've been an educator for 37 years. This is why. I was a certificated teacher at Blue Ridge High School in Lakeside for 27 years; however, prior to my graduation from ASU I was part of the educational team at Westwood High in Mesa, delivering direct instruction to students on a daily basis. In fact, it was those experiences that inspired me to return to college in 1985 and earn my teaching degree.

The credit union where I cashed my paychecks.

The credit union on the corner near our house was well-known to me, back in the days before I discovered direct deposit. I remember waiting in a long line after school every other Friday.

The LDS temple in Mesa, where I served as an ordinance worker.

One of my most precious memories was serving as an ordinance worker in the Mesa temple, from November 1983 to December 1985. After my first college semester, I reluctantly had to ask for a release. Working full time and taking a full load of classes was overwhelming, but I can truly say: Best two years of my life!

Now, sadly, the temple is surrounded by opaque green fencing, closed to both the public and members while it undergoes a major renovation project until 2020. It was built in 1927, 91 years ago, so I guess it's time for an overhaul.

Mesa General Hospital, where Sarah was born, is now abandoned.

I was stunned when I drove up to Mesa General Hospital, where Sarah was born in October 1989, to find only an empty shell. I had no idea the hospital had closed, exactly ten years ago this month, in May 2008. Due to difficulties during her birth, Sarah spent her first seven days in the hospital, and I spent six days there. The only thing that made it bearable to leave one day early, without my new baby in my arms, was the fact that our little apartment was, literally, right across a side street from the obstetrics wing! I walked back later that night to feed her.

I did cruise past that old, one-bedroom apartment at 444 N. LeSueur, where the living room was Sarah's nursery, but I came away without a photo. It was once a cute little place, but yesterday there were so many trashy cars parked on the road and so much piled garbage (like broken furniture) around all the buildings, that I couldn't even get a clear shot. And I was not getting out of the car! As I drove around the corner and passed the parking area, two men dressed in totally stereotypical drug-dealer/gangster-style clothes and blingy jewelry, lounging in the doors of their very expensive black cars, gave me a suspicious stare as I rolled by. I had the distinct impression I'd just interrupted something shady, so I didn't dare to show my camera! I wonder if losing the hospital precipitated the once-nice neighborhood's decline into slum-ness.

The light rail dissects Mesa's Main Street.

In some ways, Mesa has changed very little. It still has more of a small-town feel than the larger metro areas like Phoenix. It continues to be unusually well-kept for a town of its size. Yet, in other ways, there have been major changes. For instance, the Valley Metro Light Rail has taken over most of Main Street, and the downtown area surrounding it has largely been renovated. Most of it is quite nice these days.

The entrance to WorldMark Scottsdale.

When I completed my little tour, which lasted for more than an hour, I went over to visit with Mark's Aunt Wilma and her daughter, Mark's cousin Maryhelen. I spent about an hour with them yesterday before giving up on hearing from the glass company or the constable. Then it was time to check in at the resort.

The one-bedroom "suite" has just a small kitchenette.

I left the Mesa house at 2:15, and twenty minutes later I was in the lobby of the resort, getting myself checked in. The Scottsdale property is one of WorldMark's newer resorts, so I'd never been there before. It's quite nice. At this time, they only offer studios and one-bedroom units, although they are gearing up to add buildings offering larger units.

I never did use this little cook-top.

I was lucky to get into the resort at all. There are usually no units left to reserve when you try to get one the night before check-in. So I was blessed that they had just one one-bedroom "suite" left in their inventory. The suites are smaller and do not have a full  kitchen. The website stated that there would be only a mini-fridge and microwave, but I found that there was much more. Not only was there a two-burner cook-top, but the cupboards were filled with the spices and plates and cups and other amenities we enjoy in our usual WorldMark accommodations. Really, the biggest bummer was no dishwasher and no disposal, but hardly "roughing it."

The bedroom was full-size with the usual king-size bed.

Once I got everything hauled up the stairs to the suite, I got my stuff unloaded and put away before going to dinner at a nearby Chipotle's Mexican Grill, where I enjoyed a very large steak burrito. Then, exhausted from my early start (I'd been up since 3:50 a.m.) and the drama-induced emotional fatigue, I fell into the cushy bed and slept like a log until 6:45 this morning.

The bathroom was huge, with a shower...

I didn't request the "special needs" version of the suite, but that's what I got. You can see how spacious this bathroom is. I love it when that happens. These units have so much more space for wheelchairs and other equipment, it makes it very comfortable and roomy for everyone.

...and with a tub, too!

Today was much less busy than yesterday. In fact, I barely left the condo. In the morning, I attended an "informational presentation," which they always say isn't going to include a sales pitch, but always does. Although I will say that this time they didn't apply the pressure they have in the past, so it lasted thirty minutes instead of the usual two hours. (Really, how long does it take to say "No!") In return, they gave me a $100 American Express card. That was worth thirty minutes of my day!

A little balcony opens off the bedroom.

I made myself some deviled eggs for breakfast, using the boiled eggs and a jar of mayonnaise I brought from home yesterday. For lunch I had the leftover chips con queso from Chipotle's, plus a juicy, cold pickle and a bunch of strawberries. Fruit always sounds great when the weather is hot.

The view from my balcony.

The only other time I left today was to take myself out to dinner at Sweet Tomatoes, a buffet that serves mostly salads and soups. It was good, but probably won't make my top twenty list.

My door at the top of the stairs.

The highlights of my day were the phone calls. Jacob called to tell me he'd arrived safely in Flagstaff. Mark called to see how things were going. I spoke to Wilma, who has been such a great help and is working on getting those house keys for me. And it was a thrill to hear from both the constable and the glass company today. It finally feels like things are moving forward.

Looking down the stairs from my front door.

Fortunately, I've never minded being alone or doing things by myself. I learned to be self-reliant during all those years as a single woman, before I finally got married at age thirty-four. I love being with my family and try to savor every moment when we're together, but I'm also able to cherish my alone time. However, I really did miss them desperately when I was hauling my suitcase and bags and ice chest up the stairs to my suite in the afternoon heat yesterday!

I brought fruit from home, because fruit is always good in hot weather!

So now I'm enjoying my last quiet night alone before my family rejoins me tomorrow. Jacob is safe in his Flagstaff hotel and will resume the final leg of his journey in the morning. Sarah, Dylan, Jake, and Mark will drive down from Lakeside in the morning. I expect we'll all be reunited by around noon.

Hopefully everything else will go smoothly, from the constable's arrival at the house to the glass company finally getting our window glass ordered. After that, life will get real busy as we roll up our sleeves and start taking back the house we love, filled with so many family memories!

The back side of Camelback Mountain, as seen from the resort tonight.

May 30, 2018

Remember and Honor

Memorial Day 2018

At this time of year, the occasional meme surfaces that seems to imply that enjoying this particular three-day weekend with barbecues and outdoor activities is somehow shallow and disrespectful. I disagree. It's true that a reminder of the solemn purpose for this holiday is in order, but after taking some time to reflect upon the sacrifices made in our behalf, I believe that those who gave all to protect our freedoms would approve of families and friends joining together to celebrate the liberties they assured for us.

I'm sure I've said this in previous posts, but I've been incredibly blessed to have never lost anyone I've known to military service. Even during the Vietnam years, when I was a teenager and so many young men were sacrificed, I only knew one person who served in Vietnam. That was my former boyfriend, but he wasn't deployed until after we broke up, so I didn't even hear about it until years later. Several of my uncles and cousins have served in various periods, from World War II to peace-time efforts, but all returned home whole and healthy. That's a blessing on which I reflect often, especially at this time of year. So many other families have suffered losses I can't even imagine.

Speaking for my own family, we deeply honor all who choose to serve this great country, including both veterans and those who gave their "last full measure of devotion." That choice reflects the greatest courage and dedication a man or woman can offer to the nation they love. God bless each one and the families and friends who share them with us.

May 27, 2018: After dinner, a rousing game of Star Wars Monopoly.

Jake takes his turn while Chris and Sarah watch.

Our family gathering to remember Memorial Day wasn't much different than our usual Sunday family dinner. In acknowledgment of the holiday, however, we made sure that each local family member joined in. I think it's important that everyone possible be together to remember these special times. For the past several weeks, Dylan has been working the 1:00 to 10:00 p.m. shift, so we had to coordinate our efforts to align dinner time with his "lunch hour" at work. And, since his car broke down on Friday, Sarah volunteered to pick him up and take him back.

Mark did barbecue some hot dogs for us, and we ate chili dogs with shredded cheese, chopped onion, and diced tomato, along with chips and dip on the side. After Sarah took Dylan back to work, we enjoyed a fun game of Star Wars Monopoly, which was won by the Rebellion (Sarah and me), acting as Finn and Luke Skywalker, by owning the most Rebel bases on eight planets. We soundly defeated the Dark Side (Jake and Chris), who took on the roles of Kylo Ren and Darth Vader.

A closeup of our game in progress.

I seemed to spend a lot of time in jail (galactic prison?), but I owned so many bases that I collected a lot of rent and finished with the most money. Sarah, though, was the big winner. She owned eight bases, whereas I only owned seven, and it's the bases owned that determine the victor. Mark, who isn't much of a board-game player (preferring card games), watched TV while we battled it out in the kitchen.

Decadent fudge-swirl, double-chocolate brownies for dessert.

Or, as Dylan likes to call it, diabetes-in-a-pan.

We ended the evening with some extra-gooey brownies (my favorite kind) before everyone went on their way. We sent some home for Dylan, too, to enjoy after he got off work. It was a fun evening. I'm thankful that we live in a nation where we're blessed to enjoy days like this!

Moving Day

The whole family helped Sarah and Chris move into their new home.

May 24, 2018: Sarah's Jeep, Brenda's truck, Jake's Kia, my Traverse.

It took two days longer than predicted, but yesterday my daughter Sarah and her husband Chris finally closed on the house they've been working on buying. They are now proud and thrilled to be first-time homeowners!

Chris's mom, Brenda, in the enclosed porch at the front of the house.

Due to the deal taking longer to close than expected, and due to everyone's crazy work schedules, we had to get them moved into their place last night while everyone was available to help. I wrongly thought that it wouldn't take long. After all, they didn't have that much furniture in their tiny apartment, right? I should have known better. We all own so much more stuff than we ever realize...until we move. What I expected would take just a couple of hours actually took closer to five hours in total (Chris and his mom, Brenda, got started before we joined in at 5:45). It was 9:30 before Mark and I got home last night.

Brenda's truck carries the second load from the old apartment.

Sadly, that meant I missed the high school graduation of my niece Haley last night. I'm so sorry, Haley! I truly wanted to be there to celebrate with you. But congratulations on a job well-done. We're all so proud of you!

Two of the Webb boys on their way to grab more furniture from the truck,

while Chris, Mark, and Dylan carry in a long, heavy dresser.

Honestly, I hate to think how long this task would have taken us if it weren't for Aaron Webb and his two sons, who came immediately to assist, even after being asked at the last minute. Their three pairs of tireless hands and their trailer made a HUGE difference. We are so grateful for them.

The Webb trailer holds the larger items from the third and final load.

This was taken right outside their former apartment, by the storage shed.

Although I knew that Sarah and Chris had a large storage shed filled with boxes of the things they couldn't fit into their apartment, I don't think I realized the actual scope and sheer number of the belongings they'd had to put on hold for the past almost-seven years. (Their seventh anniversary is coming up on July 30th.)

Chris and Jake (my two sons-in-law) chat while emptying out the

storage shed that held all the stuff that didn't fit into their apartment.

I wish that I'd taken a picture of the storage shed before they'd started removing things from it. There were boxes on the shelves in back, plus the entire floor was covered with stacks and stacks of boxes, literally up to waist-high and taller. No walking room between piles. Unbelievable!

The storage shed was entirely emptied after all their belongings came out.

A great many of those boxes in the storage shed contained gifts from their wedding in July 2011. They'd received so many nice things that they haven't had the space to use...until now. What fun they'll have going through those gifts now and deciding where and how to use them in the new home. It will be almost like everything is new again. In fact, many of those gifts have probably become forgotten over the years, so they can be happily surprised all over again!

The Webb family trailer at the new house with the final load.

Sarah and Chris's new place is a single-wide mobile home, about the same size as my small house. Mine is 1,200 square feet and theirs is 1,100. They have much more storage than I do, though. I notice mobile home designers have a great gift for efficient usage of limited space. So, while their new place isn't huge, it is spacious enough, especially when compared to their former apartment, which was extremely small. (See the last five photos at the end of this post.)

They worked so fast, the trailer was nearly empty by the time I took pictures!

Sarah picked up several pizzas and some soda to enjoy after the bulk of the work was done. She sent one whole pizza and a 2-liter soda home with the Webb men, and then the rest of us relaxed amid the boxes and piles while munching on slices of pizza. There was a tangible sense of a job well-done.

Looking from the front door, across the living room, to the kitchen.

Let's give them a month or two (or three; we all know how long it takes to get totally moved in) to sift through all their goods and organize their new home. Then I'll be back with a another blog post, to share what their new home looks like once they're all settled in, with everything in its intended place!

Jake, Brenda, Dylan, Chris, and Sarah check out the living room window.

It was about eighty degrees in their house by the time we were done!

As a parent, there really isn't anything more satisfying than seeing your children happy and settled into a good life. It brings me great peace to watch my kids working to build a strong foundation, even while facing the hardships and challenges that inevitably arise. I'm so proud of them all.

The kitchen counters hold their share of moving boxes, etc.

Congratulations on your new home, Sarah and Chris!

The master bedroom with a corner tub in the attached master bath.

A nice, roomy closet in the new master bedroom. Compare to the

tiny closet space in their former apartment, at the bottom of this post.

The futon is nestled into the third bedroom.

The room I'm most jealous of: an actual laundry room!

All I have in my house is a cramped laundry closet!

This was the entire kitchen of Sarah and Chris's former apartment.

These final five photos are a last look at the now-empty, tiny apartment Sarah and Chris have shared since their marriage almost seven years ago. It's been a nice little place, allowing them to live cheaply while they saved money for a down payment and closing costs on their own home someday. However, it was also a minuscule little place to live in!

This other half of the room with the kitchen was their "living room."

Can you see why I thought we'd be able to move them within a couple of hours? After all, how much could they squeeze into such a small apartment? However, much of what we moved came from the previously-mentioned storage shed behind their apartment.

This 8' x 10' space was their bedroom. Nice tiled floors, though.

This was Sarah and Chris's total closet space, before.

Very nice bathroom, although the shower was quite small.

Again, these final five photos show their former apartment.

Youth in Action

April 28, 2018: These young men tackled our pine needle problem.

Three weeks ago, we had the privilege of having a group of young men from our church ward's youth group come to our home and clean up the yard for us. There were nine young men (ages twelve to seventeen), five of their youth leaders, and two members of our bishopric who showed up at my door at 8:30 on a Saturday morning, prepared to work.

The big backyard is always the worst.

These are young people with a work ethic! They jumped right in and had the whole yard done in less than two and a half hours. I didn't see a single youth who failed to carry his own weight. No one stood around looking uncertain or trying to avoid the labor. I also didn't see anyone who worked grudgingly. Each person, youth and adult, had a smile on his face and spoke cheerfully, laughing and joking and solving problems together.

I asked what I could provide, like a snack or a breakfast, but the Young Men president said, "Water would be good. That's all they need." So I filled an ice chest with ice and bottled water. As the day warmed up, it became a very popular stop. A mother of one of the boys brought by three dozen donuts, and one of the youth leaders brought a big bag of fruit snacks, so the boys had energy sources available.

The big pile of branches in my yard was becoming a fire hazard.

In a sense, this service project was an extension of the men's November project, when the elders and high priests from church came to put on my new metal roof. A few of the men had also pruned some trees and trimmed back a bunch of dead branches from my oak trees and Ponderosa pines, resulting in a huge pile of green debris in a corner of my driveway, along with another, smaller pile of leftover roofing supplies. They assured me that they'd send a group back to haul away the piles (since I don't have access to a truck or trailer), and bring along the youth to rake my yard for good measure.

Backing in a trailer to haul off the green waste.

Our fire season has always had the potential to start early, but back when we used to have wet, snowy winters, we generally didn't have to worry much before May and June. This year, though, after an extremely dry winter, the mountain fires began very early, in March. All have been human-caused so far, which is scary because it's completely unpredictable. So I was getting nervous. I told several people I was worried that my yard would become the catalyst for burning down our entire neighborhood. And I was only half-joking! Thus, I was SO relieved when these men and youth came to rescue my yard.

Chopping up the branches cut down by our bishop (on the right).

I did make one special request, which was, again, a carryover from the November project. Two tall oaks on the north side of my house had extremely long branches that hung very low, especially when weighted down by snow. Unfortunately, they were attached to the trunk at a very high position, difficult to reach. The men who were there in November didn't have a tall enough ladder and didn't feel they were young enough to tackle such a tricky, strenuous task.

Prior to the arrival of this April group, I asked if some of the younger men (not the boys) could get those branches for me, and they did. They brought a taller ladder and a chainsaw. It was, in fact, our ward's bishop who took on the task, and it was a little bit frightening to watch. But they did a great job!

Tackling the pile.

I love how the people in my church family are always willing to minister to each other in a variety of ways, serving needs both physical and spiritual. I've always felt inadequate in this regard, having a desire to serve but coming up short in the recognition of needs and how to effectively offer help. As a single, working, older mom (I was thirty-five when my first child was born) with limited energy levels, my own life was often so overwhelming that it was hard to push myself forward, let alone see the need to reach out to others. Most of my service opportunities seemed to be reserved for my children and closest friends and family.

Now that I'm retired and my children are adults doing great things on their own, I'm working to become more aware of the needs around me. I hope to get better at this throughout the coming years. Although my ability to physically serve will become diminished over time, I know there are many other subtle ways in which we can show love and give support to one another. It really is, always, all about love.

The leftover roofing materials were finally taken away to the dump.

As for being the one on the receiving end, that can also be difficult. I love these givers for their selfless service during my time of need, but I'm frustrated that there's no way I can ever pay back what they've given. This has required a shift in perspective for me. It's not truly service if something is required in return, so I need to let go of my need to pay it back. Instead, I need to look for ways to pay it forward. Somewhere, someone has a need I can fulfill. I just need to open my spiritual eyes, listen to the Spirit, and be prepared to act.

Wish me success!

Loading the big pile of branches into the trailer.

It was awesome to see that huge pile dwindle to nothingness.

And soon the job was done! It just took two loads to do it!