10/20/2010 (Wed) - Dancin' and Play Goin'

Mesa, the City.....

Back in the 1800's the city of Mesa really started out as a small farming community. The first known population was a group of Indians known as the Hohokam Indians.  Around 1877 the Mormon pioneers started to settle in and around Mesa. During the 120 plus years since that time Mesa has grown at break-neck speeds to become the third largest city in Arizona. Imagine that the third largest city! Even more astounding is that it  has become the 38th largest city in the U.S.

The word ‘Mesa’ was taken from a Spanish word that means table which was a word to describe land above the bluff.

Today Mesa has a population of close to 475,000 people which makes it larger than Atlanta, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, and Miami. Mesa is over 1,200 feet above sea level and believe it or not on average Mesa has 325 sunny days per year. The ‘average’ temp is 88 with a low of 56.  You know in order to get average lots of those days have to be much higher and lots must be much lower.

Mesa is 128 square miles in size and has over 40 golf courses, 55 parks, 13 public pools, 900 restaurants and 450 businesses. And the most exciting news of all is the 13,000 free parking spaces in the city.
Mesa has an expanded airport called Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and since Oct. of 2007 the carrier Allegiant Air has had approximately 690,000 people flying in and out of that airport.

Mesa really is quite the city.

Today oh yes today...was dance lesson day.....ice cream social day......dinner at Mel and Joanna's day.....and Beauty and the Beast play day.   You've heard of that term living in the fast lane....that could really be us.

Our dance lesson went well except we need to practice what we have learned.  Those turns are killers to do.  Well the turn is not hard it's what to do with your feet that's the killer.   We still have two practice sessions left but can't find a time this month to do them.  But honestly I do think we can dance maybe a 'tiny' bit better than before the lessons.  Just found out that there is a place close by that has dance lessons every Wednesday night and the cost is $1.00pp.  Well that's a no brainer, we're going there from now on.

We ended up not going to the ice cream social so I just had a sugar free creamsicle here.  Our dinner was beyond excellent but we need to stop eating so much all the time.  Here it is Thur. and we haven't eaten one meal here for the last week.  Needs to stop.  Joanna is a wonderful cook and she actually enjoys it.  I can't wrap my arms around that concept.

The Gammage Theater in Tempe, AZ

 Location:  Univ. of AZ.

The play Beauty and the Beast was just wonderful.

Our seats were in what I often refer to as the 'nosebleed' section but I totally enjoyed the play and am looking forward to the next one.

Jim said he did not really care for that type of play but he did say it was well done.  I thought it was excellent.  It was so sad because in the play, the Beast dies.  I did not realize he did.  He does come back to life and becomes a gorgeous man.  Of course that's after Bella kisses him.  It was so cute to see all the little girls in the audience all dressed up in their long dresses with hair bows and dress shoes.  They were so excited to be at the play. 

Another busy day tomorrow, well actually all the days seem to be busy ones.