The beginning...

For months now, Tanya and I have been talking about kick-starting a blog so that we can easily share stories and photos with our friends and family in Texas (and beyond).  So here it is!

We've been in Tucson for almost three months now, and I would say that we're almost completely settled in.  I say "almost," of course, because only the bedrooms and bathrooms are painted.  When there is no white remaining, I will feel truly at home!

So far, our time here has been bittersweet.  Many of you know that our garage was broken into a couple of weeks ago, and almost everything in it was taken.  Since that time, we've been fortunate enough to recover Tanya's bike (in full), and my road bike (in part).  But we're still missing so many things: Tanya's golf clubs and military awards/memorabilia, my mountain bike, hoards of tools and gadgets, almost all of our backpacking gear, some motorcycle gear, a giant box of Christmas decorations (including our collection of ornaments that are one-of-a-kind), and Tanya's karaoke machine that she's had since she was 8-years-old.  The latter was the hardest to swallow, I think.

Even still, there are many things to be thankful for!  One of our first projects upon moving in was to install a kitty door leading into the garage.  (By the way, this is a great idea for any cat person...no more litter in the house!)  To think that the babies could have escaped into the darkness and been eaten by some ravenous javelina!!  But, alas, they are all safe and sound--and they slept for approximately 24 straight hours following their all-nighter. :)

But, aside from all of that drama (along with the other drama...which is a different story for a different day), we absolutely love it here!  Tucson is so liberal, which is such an awesome change (in our opinion, at least) from the staunch conservatism of the DFW area.  Here are just a few fantastic facts:

1. Tucson was rated the 9th most bike-friendly city in the U.S. by Bicycling Magazine!  Any of you that know me well know how excited I am about this. :)  It's completely possible to commute by bike anywhere in the valley.  No one throws random objects at you.  No one tries to run you off the road.  No one yells obscenities at you from their pickup truck which proudly displays a confederate flag and a rifle rack.  There are bike lanes on just about every road here.  (How many bike lanes does Arlington have?  Maybe 2...in the entire city.)
2. The general public understands the concept of veganism, and most of the restaurants have vegan options on their menus.  (This is a big deal, coming from Texas, where some people don't know that cheese contains milk...true story.)
3. There is family everywhere!  It's great to not be stared at as you walk around town, holding hands with your partner.  This would definitely not happen in Texas! 
4. Mountains, mountains, everywhere!  Tuscon is just south of the Santa Catalina Mountains, and our condo sits nicely at the edge of the foothills.  This photo captures nicely the entire range.  Mt. Lemmon, which is the highest point in the range at just over 9,000 feet, is right in the center of this photo.
   
   
   
   On most Saturdays, we drive up the mountain and hike for the better part of the day.  There are so many trails to explore, and we're trying to hike the higher-elevation trails before it gets too cold.  There's skiing on Mt. Lemmon in the winter!
5. And, last but certainly not least, I work with a pretty freakin' awesome group of people at the U of A. :)  

We're going to start posting photos of our adventures in Tucson as we upload them (we're both busy and lazy right now).  For the time being, please check your calendars and let us know when you're coming to visit!