Tucson, according to the locals, is the ideal location to live. The nearby mountains provide a thirty-degree difference from the normally 100-degree weather in the summer. In the winter, the mountains become snowcapped and ski resorts open, even though it is still 60 degrees in Tucson. Can you imagine spending your mornings snowboarding just a half hour away, and your afternoons working on your tan by the pool? Another amenity that Tucson offers is a small-city environment with all the benefits and services of a big city. “Tucson is a Deaf-friendly environment,” explained Nancy Amann, proud Tucson resident and mother of three young children, one of whom attends ASDB, “I don’t have to go outside of Tucson for anything. The environment is great, the weather is great, and the people are great.”

Rathskellar, fresh off last night’s performance, stopped by the party for some sun and potato salad before they left for Phoenix to give another performance that night that we are going to see. By the time the grill cooled down, everyone was in the pool either by choice or by shove. At least 10 people were pushed into the pool wearing their clothes, and the little kids running around the pool really got a kick out of pushing someone as big as me into the pool over and over. And over and over and over again. It was a fun party and I enjoyed meeting all the people there. By 2, however, we needed to leave to Phoenix to get to the Phoenix Deaf Community Center where we were watching Rathskellar again, and getting a backstage pass to the performance where we could take pictures and see what Rathskellar does to prepare for each performance.

Before we left, we also left some information for the Tucson-ers to read about PAX-TV’s new television show, Private EYE, about a Deaf detective and how she adapts to her Deafness to solve crimes. Available only on PAX, the show should be accessible to all Deaf people to watch but the Tucson area does not carry PAX at all. We gave the locals enough information to be able to contact their cable provider and ask for PAX to be added in time for the show’s premiere. We finally left around 2:30 and wished we could stay longer and enjoy the pool just as the party was turning into a lot of fun.

While everyone was eating, Kevin was backstage massaging Rathskellar performer Krystina Adkins. When Krystina found out that Kevin was a certified masseuse with over 3,000 hours of training experience from the School of Shiatsu and Massage in Harbin Hot Springs, she asked Kevin to help her shoulder, which she twisted in last night’s performance. With tender and firm hands, Kevin masterfully stretched and massaged her shoulder in all the right places until her shoulder felt much better. Krystina was all smiles when Kevin finished his job, and soon, the rest of the performers were asking for all kinds of kinks to be magically fixed! Kevin then met 11 year old Lisal Eyrich who was there to watch the Rathskellar performance. Lisal volunteered to paint Kevin’s toe nails and Kevin delightfully accepted.

Rathskellar then changed clothes, and had a group meeting before the show, making last minute preparations and firing each other up to give yet another fantastic performance. Watching the show, with their perfectly synchronized dancing, loud vibrating music, and innovative ASL stories, I was immersed and extremely disappointed when their 90 minute performance finally came to an end.

By this time, David Strom had already flown home, a day earlier than originally planned, to be with his wife who had suddenly become ill. It was 11:30 p.m. and we had a 6-hour drive to Las Vegas in front of us. We stopped off for gas which cost us a hefty $2.24 per gallon, as well as slurpees before hitting the road. Kevin stayed up driving until 3 a.m. before calling it quits at a Wal-Mart parking lot where three other RVs were parked for the night as well.

Tomorrow we’re going to be going to the Hoover Dam and of course, everybody’s favorite: Sin City.